Spain’s Anticorruption Prosecutor is investigating suspected irregularities in Generalitat support for young people leaving state care in Catalonia. The inquiry concerns financial aid monitoring and possible “phantom placements” in youth accommodation, after the Oficina Antifraude de Catalunya, the Catalan Anti-Fraud Office, identified shortcomings in oversight.

For care leavers receiving this support, the Generalitat has said it will take direct control of monitoring payments from 1 January 2027, replacing the outsourced model used until now.

Anti-Fraud Office refers findings to prosecutors

The Anti-Fraud Office examined complaints about how benefits were managed by the former Direcció General d’Atenció a la Infància i l’Adolescència, known as DGAIA, Catalonia’s former childhood and adolescence directorate. DGAIA has since been replaced by the Direcció General de Prevenció i Protecció de la Infància i l’Adolescència, or DGPPIA.

According to the information referred to prosecutors, the Anti-Fraud Office found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing in the management of the financial benefits. It nevertheless recommended further examination of compliance with contracts after identifying weaknesses in supervision.

Its separate inquiry into alleged phantom placements is continuing and includes a review of documents linked to contracts signed by DGAIA.

“Where organisations are responsible for monitoring and assessing the conditions that entitle people to receive public resources, there is a risk of a conflict of interest.”

The Sindicatura de Comptes, Catalonia’s public audit body, made that assessment in its review of the outsourced model. Its report found more than €4.7 million in improper benefit payments to former wards between 2019 and 2022, affecting 11.8% of beneficiaries reviewed.

Generalitat to end outsourced monitoring

The monitoring service had been handled by a joint venture involving Fundació Resilis and Fundació Mercè Fontanilles. Mònica Martínez Bravo, the Catalan minister for Social Rights and Inclusion, announced in May that the Generalitat would not renew the outsourced arrangement after 31 December 2026.

From 1 January 2027, the department is due to manage both benefit monitoring and socio-educational support directly. The Generalitat has also said it will introduce monthly cross-checks of administrative information, including employment records, social-security contribution bases, municipal registration data, property records and health information, to review eligibility.

  • Until 31 December 2026: the existing outsourced monitoring arrangement remains in place.
  • From 1 January 2027: the Generalitat is scheduled to manage monitoring of care-leaver benefits directly.
  • Current investigation: prosecutors are examining suspected irregularities, while the Anti-Fraud Office continues its review of alleged phantom placements.

Information on Generalitat announcements is published through the Generalitat de Catalunya press office.

Primary sources: Generalitat de Catalunya. Reported by Source Text Link, russpain.com, Sandra Vicente, Yolanda Canales, Antònia Castelló, ARA, Gemma Bastida, El Periódico, Vicenç Pagès, Alba Carnicé, europapress.es, lavanguardia.com, EFE.