It is the social welfare committee that proposes that counseling for crisis marriages and relationships should start to cost money from the first of September this year, but the matter should be dealt with by both the municipal board and the municipal council before it is ready.
"A loss-making business to charge"
It was the Social Democrats, the Moderates and the Sweden Democrats who pushed through the proposal in the committee and the Justice Party, the Liberals and the Christian Democrats said no.
- We see it as a loss-making business to start charging.
The profits you make when you have a family counseling far exceed the savings that are made.
It's about saving a few hundred thousand kronor only and if you can make a single family work well instead of having problems, you save that money immediately, says Jonas Brännberg (RS).
But municipal councilor Carina Sammeli (S) stands up and says that the other Norrbotten municipalities that charge, Boden, Piteå and Kiruna, have not noticed any decline in the number of calls because of it.
Costs the municipality SEK 2,255 - per call
And it is thus a fee of SEK 200 for a call that costs the social administration SEK 2,255 to administer, according to the decision basis.
- It is not a huge fee we suggest, but sometimes it is not as important to come when you book an appointment if it is not worth anything.
If you are willing to pay for it, the time will be used as well.
Carina Sammeli continues:
- But if we notice that there are many fewer people who go to family counseling, we will have to review it, but it is not the signals we have received from elsewhere, she says.