Last year, social fraud was detected in more than one out of three inspections by joint control teams, announced Minister of Social Fraud Prevention Rob Beenders (Vooruit) on Sunday.
Starting today, all fines for social fraud will increase by 25%, he added.
The latest annual figures from joint inspections underline the need for stricter penalties, according to the minister. He explained that social fraud undermines the principle of fairness, penalising those who comply while allowing some to exploit the social security system.
The inspections in 2025 involved 15,337 joint operations, targeting 23,021 individuals and 10,213 self-employed workers. Fraud was uncovered in 5,269 cases, making up over 33% of all inspections. Common violations included working off the books, illegal employment, and social dumping.
Certain sectors showed higher rates of fraud than others. More than half of the inspections in car wash businesses (55%) and the hospitality industry (53%) revealed fraudulent activity. The cleaning industry and manufacturing sector both recorded a 42% fraud rate, while the construction sector reached 39%.
Minister Beenders emphasised the importance of targeted inspections in addressing the issue. He highlighted that this approach protects workers, supports honest business owners, and ensures the sustainability and fairness of the social security system.
Reports of suspected social fraud can be submitted through the Fair Competition hotline, which received over 7,000 tips last year.
In addition to joint operations, around 150,000 individual inspections were conducted last year.
