The Government is investigating improper payments of up to 2.4 million in the guaranteed social income scheme

PalmThe Government has detected potential overpayments of the Guaranteed Social Income (RESOGA) that could amount to between 1.6 and 2.4 million euros, sums that beneficiaries will have to return to the Administration. This was explained by the Minister of Families, Social Welfare, and Dependency Care, Sandra Fernández, during the presentation of the main conclusions of the internal audit on this benefit (initiated in 2023) and an initial review of more than 4,000 files corresponding to the RESOGA 20 management system. The Minister recalled that overpayments totaling 211,000 euros were already detected after a massive data screening and the review of more than 2,300 files in December 2022. Fernández emphasized that "the serious issue is not that the payments were suspended, but that they were not notified," thus highlighting the management practices of the previous administration. She also questioned the use of the self-declaration system, which she considers unsuitable for this benefit due to the responsibility it places on vulnerable groups, many of whom are unfamiliar with how the administration works. According to her, the previous government suspended the aid but then failed to review the files and, therefore, did not know whether it was necessary to reclaim money improperly received by some beneficiaries.

For his part, the spokesperson for MÁS in the Catalan Parliament, Lluís Apesteguia, defended the work of the former Minister of Social Affairs and Sports, Fina Santiago. He explained: "From the moment a person applies for aid and their requirements are assessed, it is granted, as it is necessary for their subsistence and one cannot wait for all the procedures to be completed. Subsequently, it is reviewed to ensure that the requirements have been met correctly." In some cases, irregularities can be detected, and the return of amounts received improperly can be ordered. The review process was initiated by Fina Santiago. "Whenever aid has been granted improperly, the return of the money must be guaranteed," he argued. When asked about these statements, Fernández insisted: "The problem is that they weren't reviewing it."

Awaiting the end of the audits

• The minister added that it is not yet possible to specify exactly how many people will be affected, since the name on the file does not always match the final number of beneficiaries. The review and notification of irregular files was one of the first measures implemented by the department after the government took office in the summer of 2023, along with commissioning an audit to analyze the situation following the "chaos" detected. Among the main conclusions of the audit, Fernández pointed to "structural irregularities accumulated over years," such as: Deficient IT management that is poorly adapted to current needs.
• Poor connection with other administrations, which hindered the screening and control of data.
• Suspensions of proceedings without notification, which generated legal uncertainty.
• Prolonged improper payments.
• Charges outside the Balearic Islands due to lack of residency control.
• Payments to people without NIE, already detected in a 2021 report by the Directorate General of the Treasury.

To address these shortcomings, the Government is preparing a new general instruction that incorporates all the audit recommendations and clarifies processes. A comprehensive management manual for staff and a guide for other administrations and entities will also be drafted, providing clear, reliable, and standardized information. The annual review plan, which has not yet been implemented, will be launched before the end of the year. Simultaneously, a new, more comprehensive IT management application is being developed, with enhanced features and linked to the single social security record, enabling more efficient file management. The Government is reviewing each file individually with a new control system and a reinforced team of up to 47 people dedicated exclusively to managing benefits, aiming to compensate for the deficiencies of the previous IT system.

Fernández reiterated that the Catalan government intends to promote legislative changes if it obtains the necessary support in Parliament. Among the proposals are reinstating the three-year minimum residency requirement for accessing the benefit, eliminating the requirement for prior denial of the Minimum Living Income (IMV), and clarifying the eligibility criteria. They also want to extend the processing time for applications to six months in order to unblock the review of files and prevent a system collapse. Finally, the minister announced that she has requested to appear before a parliamentary committee to report on the management of the benefit and explain in detail the measures adopted to ensure its proper administration.