Almost 38,000 people affected by childcare benefits scandal recognized, fines increase

Of the more than 69,000 people who have come forward as victims of the benefits scandal, 37,758 have been recognized as such. Not all of those who have come forward have already undergone an initial examination or assessment. In the meantime, the organization responsible for compensation has already paid out 44 million euros in fines.

State Secretary Nora Achahbar reported this in the latest progress report on the investigation into the benefits scandal. People can no longer register as defrauded. Of the 69,000 people who have registered, 50,000 have undergone the so-called integral assessment. Such an assessment is intended to show whether the person is entitled to €30,000 in compensation. If the victim believes that they are entitled to higher compensation, they can apply for additional compensation.

According to the government, parents who have fallen victim to the benefits scandal must wait “1 to 3 years until they have clarity about additional compensation. This is mainly because it takes a very long time until all the information about the individual victims is available. Only then can the parents receive appropriate compensation support. In addition, many more injured parents have come forward than expected.”

By the end of next year, all victims should have received the first assessment, much later than originally expected. After that, all appeals must also be processed. It will probably take until 2027 for the last victims to be fully compensated.

The organization implementing the compensation payments cannot process the number of reports, applications, and appeals in time. Over 39,000 people have sent reminders to the organization due to missed deadlines. So far, 44 million euros have been paid in fines.

In total, the recovery operation is expected to cost 11.7 billion euros.