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Belgium to start home inspections for suspected welfare fraud

Xinhua, May 4, 2015 Adjust font size:

The Belgian government is set to sanction home inspections as part of a clampdown on social welfare fraud, De Standaard reported on Monday.

Under the plans approved by the Secretary of State for Social Fraud, Bart Tommelein, officials from the National Employment Office (NEO) will be given powers to carry-out surprise inspections of homes in a bid to detect any fraud.

Under the previous law, the unemployed were informed in advance by the NEO of any home inspections. "So the fraudster had time to cover his tracks," according to Bart Tommelein.

"The inspectors will visit the home when there is serious suspicion of abuse, for example when analysis of energy bills or water suggests it. And, of course, they do not commit home invasion. The inhabitant must give authorisation. If this is not the case, you have to involve a judge," the Secretary of State said, quoted by le Soir.

According to the NEO, in 2014 there were 10,566 cases of fraud, while a further 21,970 inspections uncovered nothing. The previous year, 8,379 cases of fraud were uncovered, with 23,995 inspections uncovering no abuse of the system. Endit