The Balearic Government has paid at least €1.3 million of Guaranteed Social Income to people who did not meet the eligibility requirements for this benefit, which is for people in situations of particular social vulnerability.
This is in addition to thousands of cases still pending review, which could increase the final amount to almost €2.5 million, according to estimates from the ministry of families and social welfare. The ministry has begun the process of requesting reimbursement in hundreds of cases and has terminated the benefit in more than 2,000 cases.
Two years ago, the ministry began examining the payments' control system and reviewing suspected cases. The former minister of social affairs, Catalina Cirer, revealed in early 2024 that they had detected potential irregularities, such as beneficiaries receiving the social income while working or earning other income. An internal audit was commissioned, which has confirmed numerous deficiencies in the management and control systems.
The audit points out that the IT system is clearly in need of improvement. It warns that systematic checks are not carried out to ensure that beneficiaries meet the requirements at the time the benefit is granted and subsequently.
Some 4,000 or so cases are understood to be currently under review. The reasons are varied, such as unreported absences from the Balearic Islands or undeclared income from the underground economy. It's not all bad faith: in some cases beneficiaries were not even aware of having committed any irregularity because they believed they met the requirements.