Every year in Flanders, more than €40 million euros in child benefits are paid out incorrectly due to outdated information, administrative errors or fraud.
This was reported by Het Laatste Nieuws on Tuesday, based on figures requested by Member of Parliament Tomas Roggemans (N-VA) from Flemish Minister for Family Affairs Caroline Gennez (Vooruit).
In 2023, the last year for which definitive figures are available, this involved more than 55,000 cases, representing a total of €42.5 million. Although this is a slight decrease compared to previous years, the figure remains high.
While the government can successfully recover most of this money, every year a portion is permanently lost. In 2023, this amounted to €2.4 million, rising to €3 million in 2024, and since the year has not yet been administratively finalised, the actual figure is likely higher.
Nonetheless, not all cases involve fraud or malicious intent. In order to make payments correctly and on time, data from more than 55 sources that automatically provide information, such as the national register, is used. However, this data does not always reflect the current situation of families, according to the cabinet of Minister Gennez. People's incomes may have changed in the meantime, or they may have moved house. This can lead to recalculations or recoveries.
However, the majority of child payment benefit is paid out correctly, according to the spokesperson for the Growth Package Payment Agency, Leen Du Bois. In an interview in De Ochtend on Radio 1, Du Bois noted that out of the total of €4.8 billion available per year, 99% is paid out correctly.
She further noted that improvements have been made recently to improve the information streams relevant to determining the composition of child benefits. According to Du Bois, this has reduced the amounts that need to be reclaimed.
