In cooperation with MoLSA, we created an application for receiving and processing applications for a one-time child benefit (JPnD). To date, over 824,000 applications have been received, almost 60% of them via the JENDA web portal. More than 240,000 families then received the allowance completely automatically without the need to submit an application. Over 5,5 billion crowns have already been paid out.
The system for processing applications for a one-time allowance of 5 thousand crowns per child (JPnD), which supports the receipt and processing of applications in electronic form, was prepared in a very short time given the fast legislative process and the urgency of the situation. Since launching in mid-august, MoLSA received more than 824,000 applications, of which over 482,000 were entered into the web portal by the applicants themselves, and another 158,000 applications were entered into the system by officials at the CzechPOINT counters. Parents of over 240,000 children who receive child benefit received the allowance automatically. Applications can be submitted until the middle of 2023, according to estimates by the Ministry of the Interior, up to 1.6 million children could receive the allowance.
"Our common intention was to create a system with a user-friendly interface that is simple for applicants to use and does not ask them for information that they can find out from existing data sources. Even the processing and evaluation of applications itself takes place as automatically as possible," said Petr Gottesman, director of the development.
Applicants log into the system using the NIA service, most often through a bank identity. They find a number of data already pre-filled, after checking and completing them in a few simple steps, they submit an application. Furthermore, the necessary data are automatically transferred to the relevant agenda systems, verification and "matching" of data on the amount of the family's income, which are necessary for the assessment of the application, its evaluation and the transmission of the instruction to pay the benefit. Of the total number of 800,000 requests, the JPnD system processed approximately 90% fully automatically. The involvement of an official is only necessary for a small part of the applications, usually it is about clarifying family relationships, tracing household income or completing an application that has been filled in incorrectly.
JPnD is the first batch for which the submission of an application, documenting the necessary data, monitoring the application processing process and other communications with the office take place in the new web portal environment. The applicant can also receive notifications about status changes via SMS or e-mail.
The concept of the client portal was presented by MoLSA under the name "JENDA" (simply for benefits). "The strategy of our department is to use the portal for other newly emerging benefits and contributions, we will gradually transfer the existing ones to it as well. In this way, citizens will be able to handle everything they need in the same comfortable way as they are used to, for example, when operating their bank account," said Karel Trpkoš, deputy for IT at MoLSA. The system is built on the MS Azure platform and benefits from all the advantages of cloud technology consisting of robust and scalable performance, professional management and a high level of security. The performance of the infrastructure is continuously adapted to the current requirements, which leads to the saving of state funds.
For the cooperation on this system, we were thanked by MoLSA for a job well done. We built several new systems with MoLSA this year, and we are glad that the cooperation is also evaluated very positively by the Ministry.