Massive Queue Forms for Heating Compensation in Klaipėda

A massive queue formed outside a municipal social benefits office in Klaipėda, Lithuania, as hundreds of residents, many of them elderly or disabled, sought housing heating compensation. A reader described the scene as reminiscent of Soviet-era shortages, with a line stretching 300 meters to the "Vyturys" store.

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Come and take a photo, the line is huge, longer than in Soviet times for food products. It consists of almost only elderly people, some in wheelchairs, others with canes, crutches. The live queue stretches all the way to the "Vyturys" store, about 300 meters long.

The reader expressed frustration with the inefficient system, noting that only one employee was available to process applications. "They say you can register by phone, but no one answers, and only one window serves people," she said, adding that she was told to return on August 17 for a token, which led to the current large crowd. She questioned the system's organization and the difficulty in reaching the office by phone.

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This system is bad and needs to be changed. They say you can register by phone, but no one answers, and only one window serves people. It's a shame about the people. The number of such Klaipėda residents is only increasing and will increase, maybe it's time to regulate the system?

Regina Grabauskė, head of the Municipal Social Benefits Department, stated that on August 17, specialists registered over 800 individuals by noon. She clarified that four employees started at 8 a.m. and four more joined at 9 a.m. Grabauskė also emphasized that residents could avoid queues by applying online through the Social Support for Families Information System starting September 1, a process available throughout the heating season.

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As every year, individuals can apply for housing heating cost compensation electronically or in person. Electronically through the Social Support for Families Information System, applications can be submitted from September 1 and throughout the heating season without prior registration.

For those preferring in-person applications, Grabauskė explained that prior registration via phone or email is necessary. She assured that even if the phone lines are busy, an automated system informs callers that they will be contacted, and all calls are returned the same day. The long queues, she suggested, stem from people wanting to apply as early as possible, despite limited appointment slots.

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Prior registration is required for individuals who wish to submit applications in person at the first Social Benefits Department.