’Og hvis vi så ikke må – jamen hvordan skulle vi vide det?’ Kommunalt kontrolarbejde med socialt bedrageri

Abstract

Kontrolopgaver er i stigende grad en del af offentlig forvaltning, ikke mindst en del af den kontrolindsats, der udfores inden for den kommunale forvaltning af offentlige ydelser. Vi ved imidlertid meget lidt om hvordan dette kontrolarbejde udfores, hvilke typer afgorelser, der knytter sig til det, og hvordan det forandrer borgernes retstilling som modtagere af offentlige ydelser. Denne artikel bygger pa en mindre etnografisk undersogelse af en sadan kommunal kontrolpraksis. I den undersogte kommune varetager en gruppe medarbejdere opgaven med at identificere og sagsbehandle formodede sociale bedragere, at konfrontere de mistaenkte med bade mistanke og sagsbehandlingens resultater, samt traeffe en afgorelse pa kommunens vegne om hvilke konsekvenser det formodede bedrageri skal have for borgeren. Vores undersogelse viser betydningen af, at der bruges et omfattende arsenal af observationsteknikker bade online og fysisk. At der i praksis laegges vaegt pa sandsynliggorelse frem for juridisk beviselighed, samt at partshoringspraksisserne far karakter af indrommelser med uoverskuelige konsekvenser for borgeren. ENGELSK ABSTRACT Line Britt Madsen and Morten Frederiksen: Municipal investigation into and control of fraud with social benefits Control has become a more prominent part of public administration – and especially in the departments administering welfare benefits. However, we know surprisingly little about how control tasks are carried out, what types of decisions are made, and how this changes the legal rights of citizens receiving welfare benefits. This article is based on a small scale ethnographic study of municipal investigation practices. In the case municipality a specialized group of employees work to identify and process potential benefit fraud cases – including both confronting the recipients with the suspicions and deciding the kind legal action the municipality should pursue. Our study uncovers the extensive arsenal of investigative techniques employed in these investigations, including both online and real life observations. The study also shows that the investigators favour plausibility over proof, and that they aim to get confessions from recipients under suspicion, but with undisclosed consequences for the benefit recipient. Keywords: Social fraud, casework, municipal control, ethnography, interactionism.