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  • 2020-01-28 (xsd:date)
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  • this is no longer possible. Since the introduction of the new child benefit (en)
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  • The Belgian quality newspaper De Morgen published on 7 January 2020 an article with the title ‘One family of asylum seekers retroactively received more than 90,000 euros in child allowance’. In the article, Flemish Minister of Welfare Wouter Beke (CD&V) gives some numbers on the retroactive receipt of child allowance. Is the number correct and used in the right context? De Morgen and Wouter Beke (CD&V) do not mention the source of the numbers about the retroactive receipt of child allowance. De Morgen writes only that the numbers are provisional data collected over the last five years. Image: a screenshot from the article in daily newspaper De Morgen, published on 7 January 2020 Context A committee meeting on Welfare, Public Health, Family and Poverty Reduction on 7 January 2020 mentions the amount of 90.000 euros as it is discussed between different politicians. The Flemish Minister Wouter Beke released the numbers following a statement by the Flemish Minister-President Jan Jambon (N-VA). The latter claimed that he had heard a story about a family that was able to buy a house from the child allowance they received retroactively (afterwards). Jambon denounced the system whereby asylum seekers can collect the overdue children allowance when they are recognized as refugees. Several ministers reacted harshly to his statement, such as the chairwoman of Open VLD Gwendolyn Rutten. Beke claimed that the families who received retroactively so much money were not mainly asylum seekers. According to a statement by the Minister of Welfare, De Morgen journalist Roel Wauters writes that also in other cases children allowance only can be paid out afterwards. It concerns, for example, a family that (temporarily) resided in another European member state and it took a while before these data were reconciled. Also, in families with children with disabilities children allowance can be paid out later due to administrative delays. Beke was contacted by e-mail on Monday 13 January and his family policy adviser David Vits responded on Sunday 19 January. The e-mail states: at the request of Beke the figures were provided in mutual coordination by an externally autonomous agency of the Flemish government designed under public law." Because of a change within the Family Policy system (there have been mergers and now a new benefit act (en)
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