French Family Accused of $65,000 Welfare Fraud While Living in Morocco

It all started with inconsistencies noted in the file of this Sallaumines family. Alerted by the Family Allowance Fund (CAF) of Pas-de-Calais, the police conducted an investigation that proved fruitful. They discovered that the couple domiciled in Sallaumines with their seven children would have fraudulently received 61,532 euros in various social benefits between January 2017 and July 2020 while the family was mainly residing in Morocco. They would have lived in the kingdom for more than 10 months in 2017, more than 7 months in 2018, more than 9 months in 2019 and more than 8 months in 2020, reports La Voix du Nord. From Morocco, the children followed their schooling by correspondence.

In detail, the couple would have received 41,210 euros in family allowances and back-to-school allowances, 15,000 euros in housing assistance (APL), 3,512 euros in active solidarity income (RSA), and 958 euros in end-of-year bonuses. During her hearing, the mother of the family, in charge of the paperwork for the household, acknowledged having benefited from these CAF benefits. However, she claims that she was unaware that she had to reside on French territory to receive them. Summoned before the Béthune court on December 2, the couple will have to repay the amount unduly received.