Annual Report 2019-2020

14 type of grant as before, followed by the eye-glasses grant and grants for cancer screenings and rehabilitation. More women applied for grants, despite the number of paying male members being higher. Most by far of those who apply for grants belong to the age range 20-29 years, followed by those aged from 30-39 years, which reflects the age ratios within the union. An increase in the grant amount for psychological therapy was approved during the annual general meet- ing in April of 2019. This is reflected by the amounts paid out in this category, which rose by 63% between years. Also, the number of applications of those who were given grants for psychological therapy rose by 21% from one year to the next. This underscores the importance of grants to this service, which is consid- ered one of the foremost preventative measures sup- ported by the fund. Payouts for fitness grants rose by just under 30% from one year to the other despite no changes having been made to the amount of the grant and a considerable increase in the number of grant recipients. Also, the number of applications for grants for eye-glasses/contact-lenses and rehabilitation has risen from one year to the next. E F L I N G A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 1 9 – 2 0 2 0 EMAILS Efling has one main email address ( efling@efling.is) . A large quantity of emails is sent to the service depart- ment, which responds to all the queries of the union members. Members of Efling frequently send queries and applications to the email addresses of the funds, the sickness benefits fund, the educational fund and the vacation fund. SICKNESS BENEFITS FUND Grants In 2019, 161 million kronas were paid out in grants from the sickness benefits funds of Efling and the amount paid out increased by just under 22% from the previous year. The fitness grant is the most common improving the office’s services according to the needs and expectations of the membership. This has been wel- comed and has made the atmosphere in the office calmer and more organised than before. As the service system was implemented at the end of 2019 the only figures that could be extracted were for January and February of 2020. For some idea of the number of members who seek the services of the office, see the figures for January and February of 2020 in the next figure. The office was visited by more than 2000 union members each month. As is evident from the figure above, 40% of all union members select English or Polish on the main menu of the new service system. The next figure illustrates the kinds of services sought by the members of Efling as they enter the office. Over 50% select “grants” or “other”. Many union members come to the office to speak with a service representative, 16% to be specific, with 18% coming to meet the wage matters representative of Efling. TYPE OF SERV. JAN. 20 Other Wage matters priva te sector Wage matters public sector Vacation matters Sickness benefits fund Grants VIRK TOTAL 440 363 51 123 360 684 192 2.213 FEB. 20 TOTAL % 501 341 52 105 340 675 107 2.121 941 704 103 228 700 1.359 299 4.334 22% 16% 2% 5% 16% 31% 7% 100% Grants 161 M Sickness benefits 921 M Men 45,51% Women 54,49% Age groups 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-69 70 and older Under 20 1580 1825 929 697 499 137 61 Grants Count of tjodnr. Benefits The amounts paid out in sickness benefits rose by 9% from one year to the other while the number of people receiving the benefits increased by just under 5%. Of those who received benefits, 58% were women, which