Housing Fraud Scandal Rocks Belgium: Lawyer’s Double Life Sparks Nationwide Crackdown

The case of this Brussels woman of Moroccan origin, revealed on Thursday by La Dernière Heure reporting the results of an investigation carried out at the request of the INAMI, the Institute that manages health and disability insurance in Belgium, has prompted a reaction from Cécile Neven (MR), the Walloon Minister of Housing. "While others sleep on the street or in their cars, some are illegally occupying social housing while living a comfortable life abroad. It’s simply scandalous!" she indignantly exclaims.

The liberal minister assures that Wallonia is taking measures to avoid such accumulations. "In Wallonia, we are taking the lead. We are working to generalize the analysis of water and electricity consumption to detect unoccupied housing and target fraud, particularly in terms of property ownership abroad." The Walloon authorities also plan to call on private detectives to track down fraudsters, as Flanders has done. "Consideration is also being given to the use of private detectives, as is the case in Flanders," announces Cécile Neven. "Every improperly occupied place is a family waiting. Enough!" insists the MR minister. Several Moroccans had been excluded from their housing following investigations carried out by private detectives.

The Federal Chamber has also taken up the case, calling for strengthened controls against social security fraudsters. "This is the end of the myth that each social welfare recipient would have the integrity to justify all these benefits," says Georges-Louis Bouchez, the president of the MR, who acknowledges that there is "abuse in Belgium." In response, Anneleen Van Bossuyt (N-VA), the minister in charge of the CPAS, has assured that "controls will be extended and the CPAS will be subject to more frequent controls. The recovery of undue benefits will be faster... Controls must be more targeted in agreement with the police and the regions."

Concretely, the federal minister plans to set up a cadastre that would centralize all social benefits granted by public services to avoid accumulations.