Hanoi's Party Standing Committee has ordered a comprehensive review of administrative procedures and instructed authorities to clarify the responsibilities of organizations and individuals if mistakes are found, following two cases in which elderly residents had to make repeated trips to receive benefits and complete administrative procedures.

Earlier, local media reported the case of N.T.B., a 97-year-old former pre-revolutionary official, in Kim Lien Ward, who had to visit the ward People's Committee and a bank three times before receiving her monthly allowance. Her family said payments for May and June were delayed after the city's administrative restructuring.

Although she was repeatedly instructed to collect the payment through the bank, the funds had not been transferred to her account.

Leaders of the Kim Lien Ward People's Committee later acknowledged errors during the transfer and review of records following the administrative restructuring. Her file had been mistakenly transferred to the wrong administrative jurisdiction, while duplicated information appeared during the data reconciliation process, resulting in delayed payment. Ward officials later visited the family to apologize.

The second case involved Pham Thi V., 87, in Bach Mai Ward. Due to her declining health, family members and neighbors had to carry her from the second floor of an apartment building to a taxi so she could travel to a public administrative service center to renew the authorization allowing another person to collect her pension.

Although her daughter had registered with the neighborhood residential group for assistance from a local volunteer response team that provides home support, no arrangement had been made before the appointment.

After the case was reported by the media, leaders of Bach Mai Ward visited the family and said they would review administrative procedures while strengthening support for elderly residents, people with disabilities and others who face difficulties traveling to complete administrative formalities.

Hotline to handle administrative procedure difficulties

To prevent similar incidents from happening again and improve the quality of public administrative services, particularly for people with meritorious service, elderly residents and other vulnerable groups, Hanoi's Party Standing Committee instructed the Party Committee of the municipal People's Committee to direct relevant agencies to work with wards and communes to urgently review the administrative procedures involved in the reported cases and determine whether any organizations or individuals failed in their official responsibilities.

Authorities were also instructed to draw lessons from the incidents and improve the handling of difficulties faced by residents during administrative procedures, ensuring that citizens are not required to make repeated trips or become frustrated because they do not receive timely assistance.

The city will also review the entire list of beneficiaries, including people with meritorious service, social welfare recipients and pensioners, while improving coordination and data-sharing among agencies to ensure records are updated consistently and benefit payments are made accurately and without interruption.

In particular, Hanoi will establish a public hotline linked to a rapid response unit to receive and promptly resolve difficulties and complaints related to administrative procedures.

The city will also implement priority administrative procedures for elderly residents, people with meritorious service and other vulnerable groups, while studying and applying appropriate payment methods for special cases in accordance with regulations.

The municipal People's Committee has been instructed to report implementation results before July 15.

Meanwhile, the Hanoi Party Committee's Inspection Commission has been assigned to supervise implementation, investigate any signs of violations and recommend strict disciplinary measures against organizations or individuals found to have breached regulations.

Thanh Hue