Mellan rätten till tak över huvudet och det restriktiva bedömningsarbetet - En studie om socialsekreterares resonemang kring hyresskulder och ekonomiskt bistånd

Sammanfattning: The overarching aim of this study was to deepen the understanding of how social secretaries in financial assistance in the Swedish welfare system, reason about the clients’ right to support for rent debts linked to the concept of ‘reasonable standard of living’ and through their professional and organizational conditions within the workplace. The study used a qualitative approach and the empirical data consisted of nine semi-structured interviews with social secretaries in financial aid. For the analysis we applied the concepts of discretion as well as organization professionalism and occupational professionalism. The analysis shows that whether support for the rental debts is granted or not, depends on the organizational structure which can limit the exercise of discretion, in order for the organization to maintain legitimacy and control. This management mentality means that there is a clear clash between the organization's and the client's interests and that social secretaries often are torn between following the requirements for ‘being professional’ and showing solidarity towards the client. The findings also highlight that rent debt is more often granted less restrictively when families with children risk eviction than when the clients are single adults. The study concludes that there are major societal changes and structural imbalances between legal conditions, demography, and housing situation, which individual social secretaries often have to juggle throughout their work with financial assistance.