Walk-in service at the SEPE: the civil servant who paid to help

What would you do if you needed a certificate from SEPE but couldn’t get an appointment? Some people are risking their jobs to help you. An employee at the SEPE office in Mérida has been disciplined for assisting citizens who arrived without an appointment. He has been with the agency for 15 years and in public service for 37. Now he faces a possible penalty.

The story has made headlines. More than a hundred people gathered in front of the office to support him. The reason? While other officials followed protocol, he chose to help residents who hadn’t been able to book an appointment online. Like so many foreigners who come to Spain and run into digital bureaucracy.

The employee himself explains that many scheduled appointments are resolved in two or three minutes, even though 15 minutes are set aside for them. Furthermore, 30% of users don’t show up. So for months, he used those gaps to assist those who arrived without an appointment. People who need a certificate to apply for food assistance, the social utility discount, or a document that can only be downloaded online. “How could I say no with the office empty?” he wondered.

If you’re processing paperwork in Spain, you’ve surely found yourself without an appointment at the SEPE at some point. The online system crashes, the 060 phone line isn’t free, and sometimes there are no appointments available for weeks. The digital divide hits hard: not everyone knows how to download a certificate, has a printer, or has internet access. For immigrants in vulnerable situations, the barrier is even greater.

This case brings an uncomfortable debate to the table: the appointment system as the only way to be seen. The official doesn’t reject it, but he says it has become an end in itself that drives citizens away from the government. Meanwhile, he continues to wait for his case to be resolved. And those who need help still have no appointment.

If you’re having trouble with your appointment or paperwork, message us on Telegram: https://t.me/cita_extranjeria