Flemish Government loses 3.19 million euros to allowance errors

The Flemish government has lost over 3.19 million euros due to erroneous payments of family allowances, known as the ‘Groeipakket’. Data released by MP Katrien Schryvers indicates that these administrative errors affected 2,037 different households over the last two years.

In 2024, 1,263 families received incorrect payments totaling nearly 1.7 million euros, while approximately 1.5 million euros in errors occurred the following year involving 774 households. Because the mistakes were made by the payment agencies rather than the recipients, the state is unable to recover the funds and must absorb the financial loss.

To address these systemic failures, there is a plan to consolidate the five current payment agencies into a single public provider. This transition is expected to be completed by July 1, 2029, with the goal of normalizing procedures and strengthening oversight.