In Catalonia, an independent audit has uncovered major issues within the support system for young people formerly under state care. The audit, launched after a scandal involving erroneous payments, revealed that nearly 170,000 euros were issued over the past two years to individuals who were not eligible for this assistance.
The review covered the period from 2022 to 2024 and focused on the Girona region, where suspicious cases were first detected. Before payment management was handed over to external organizations, the state agency failed to monitor how allocated funds were being used. As a result, many recipients continued to receive financial aid even after their income exceeded the established threshold.
How did the system work, and why did it fail?
There are two main types of support for care leavers: a monthly payment equal to the minimum subsistence level and housing assistance. To qualify, applicants must meet three criteria: have an income below a certain level, have been in care during the past year, and sign an individual development plan. However, auditors found that in most cases, once payments were approved, nobody checked if the recipients’ financial circumstances had changed.
Since September 2022, oversight of fund distribution has been transferred to two private foundations. Their staff began uncovering numerous cases where payments continued without valid grounds. In many instances, information about young people’s incomes was verified only verbally, without official requests to tax authorities or social services. As a result, according to an audit, in 2023 and 2024 alone, seven people received almost 69,000 euros despite already being employed and no longer needing support. In addition, violations were found in housing provision, leading to further losses of nearly 42,000 euros.
Recommendations and next steps
External experts have called on the Catalan authorities to urgently review their oversight procedures. Their recommendations include mandatory income verification through official channels, regular monitoring of the situation, and recovering erroneously paid funds. They also note that the workload for specialists supporting former dependents is too high: one employee may be assigned up to 100 cases per year, making quality supervision difficult.
Starting in November 2025, payment management will be handled by a new department tasked with reforming the support system. The new rules are expected to prevent similar mistakes and ensure fairer distribution of aid to those truly in need.
Impact on vulnerable groups and prospects for change
A failure in the oversight system led to some funds being misallocated, leaving the most vulnerable young people at risk of not receiving the support they needed. Although there are no signs of fraud or intentional enrichment, auditors point to serious organizational and regulatory shortcomings. The Catalan authorities have already announced plans to introduce new verification mechanisms and to return part of the funds to the budget.
This situation has prompted broad changes in the approach to social support for former beneficiaries. The upcoming reforms are expected to make payments more transparent and oversight more effective, helping to prevent similar mistakes in the future.
