Belgium partners with neighbours in the fight against social fraud
Brussels, 21 October 2009
The Belgian National Institute of Health and Disability Insurance (Inami/Riziv) held a study day on the international fight against social fraud entitled "The right payment for the right person at the right time". The objective of this day was to educate the Public Institutions of Social Security (IPSS) to error, fraud and abuse related to social benefits.
Background
The Belgian social security system and its resulting social protection reduce the impact of the economic and financial crisis. To ensure that the system remains affordable, all players must be united, as far as social benefits and income replacement are concerned. The seminar which took place at the Inami discussed the fight against social fraud. It was co-organized by Inami and the Federal Social Security, in partnership with the National Office of Pensions (ONP).
Topics discussed
Various aspects were discussed during this seminar:
- The methods with which Belgium, the United Kingdom and France fight against social fraud. Belgian, British and French Academics debated the policy instruments available to the public sector of their countries to fight against social fraud.
- The British "Public Service Agreements", where priority has been given to the fight against fraud. Experts from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) presented the implementation of these "Public Service Agreements" and shared their experience with their French and Belgian colleagues (exchange of good practices, both at management and operational levels ).
- Representatives of the Belgian Minister for Social Affairs, Mrs Laurette Onkelinx, also said that the fight against social fraud was a major priority of the government during the negotiations of future administration contracts for public social security institutions (2010-2012).
- Mr Tom Auwers, Director-General policy support within the Federal Social Security, introduced the book series "Studies on the social and fiscal fraud”, an initiative of the FPS Social Security and SPF Employment on the feasibility of an Observatory that would be in charge of measuring the underground economy.
Collaboration Agreement
The international administrative cooperation on the fight against fraud between the Belgian and British institutions formally took shape during this day of study by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the ONP, INAMI/RIZIV and the British DWP. Inami/Riziv and ONP are the first public institutions of social security to conclude such an international collaboration agreement. This collaboration is a sign that social security increasingly exceeds national borders within Europe.