In a recent publication, The last hour revealed the case of the Belgian which benefited from social housing, as well as health insurance and a premium of disability in Brussels, while it had been exercising for years as a lawyer in Morocco. The “social system is a colander, today we have a completely defaulting control system that causes millions of euros to the community,” reacted Georges-Louis Bouchez, the president of the MR, following this publication. The president of the CPAS of Brussels said for his part that the aid allocated to the concerned were suspended as soon as the fraud is discovered a few months ago.
To read: she affects family allowances, but works as a lawyer in Morocco
“There are perhaps things that CPAS do not see, but we need means to carry out the most rigorous checks possible. We recently spotted fraud thanks to the very sharp accounting knowledge of one of our social workers but without his skills, we would probably not have seen it. In addition to social workers, it is therefore also necessary for staff trained and dedicated to antifraude struggle and which has links with justice. But it is not because we have a motorist who gritles a red light that we are going to put a fine of all the motorists in good standing, it is the same for social fraud with the beneficiaries. The whole system should not be stigmatized, ”he explains.
To read: Belgian Moroccans could be excluded from social housing
The CPAS Federation could not be clear on the subject. “Social fraud in the CPAS is really minimal. And it is very important that tax fraud for example. In addition, in terms of costs for society, so that a social fraud has a big impact, it has to last for years or when it concerns a lot of files since the aid amounts are never staggering, “said Georgy Manlis, director of the Brussels CPAS Federation. And to continue: “Obviously this kind of case makes policies and citizens react, it is quite normal, but we are very far from a colander. We already have a lot of tools, for example a person who refuses to transmit information or to be present several times during the social survey loses his right to aid. »»
To read: a Belgian-Moroccan couple receives hundreds of thousands of euros while they live in Morocco
But, he admits, “fraud remains fraud and we must fight against. For this, we need means. In this vein, the president of the MR claimed to “condition a series of agreements for information exchange criteria between states. This is one of the difficulties that CPAS faces. “For a Belgian, there is the Carrefour bank which already gives a lot of information, but for foreigners, it is more complicated. Excluding Schengen space, we have the border police which often signals us from the departures of the regular territory. Beyond a month outside Belgium, the aids are suspended normally, ”it is specified. Unemployment reform is likely to worsen the situation.
