Ghost jobs: an organization accused of falsifying aid to young people in care

BarcelonaThe apartment was half empty, but the entity that managed it was collecting rent from the Generalitat (Catalan government) as if all the spaces in the apartment were occupied. This is what is known among workers in the sector as "ghost spaces." Now, three examples of this entity have reported it to the Anti-Fraud Office and the Catalan Ombudsman, within the framework of the research advanced by the ARA In January: alleged irregularities in the payment of financial and housing benefits to young people in care were reported to a technician from the Girona district.

The complaint already received by the Antifrau and the Ombudsman refers to an entity in the province of Girona that had half-empty apartments for young people linked to job placement programs (PIL). In reality, despite there being empty spaces, it charged as if the apartments were completely full, and in this way, it received all the money provided by the Catalan government for these boys and girls, both in care between 16 and 18 years old and, especially, those in care between 18 and 21 years old. This was done, according to various witnesses, by "falsifying the young people's signatures" to confirm that they "continued to be employed," that is, that they still lived in the apartment and that the entity worked closely with them, although this was not true.

These places cost the Generalitat 119.91 euros per day for minors, and 46.53 euros per day per young person for former wards. The workers—who do not want to be identified for fear of reprisals—also report that they were forced to "leave blank dates on signed documents" so that their superiors could enter the date that best suited them and play with the ghost places. These were irregular practices that they had to carry out "under duress" from their superiors and that caused them anxiety.

One of these complainants, in fact, contacted the Support Area for Young People in Care and Formerly in Care (ASJTET) to report some of these practices. This agency, which belongs to the General Directorate of Child and Adolescent Care (DGAIA), informed her that they would "monitor" the aid. To prevent these irregularities, they assured them, they would "force" the young people themselves to "appear individually" to verify that they were still living in the apartment and had not left for other parts of Spain or even abroad, as often happens in many of these cases.

Parallel Investigations

This complaint is framed in what another worker, who is a protected person under the Anti-Fraud Office, reported the case to the various oversight bodies in Catalonia in January 2024: the Anti-Fraud Office itself, the Audit Office, and the Ombudsman. The employee claims to have detected certain irregularities in the SPAE Resilis Apartments for Over 18s service. The entity was collecting housing benefits for a former ward of Senegalese origin who, in reality, had been working and living in Valencia for months.

The employee even verified that the entity had changed the young man's housing resource, citing that he was looking for work and would be better off living in another apartment, when he had been working outside of Catalonia for months. When he alerted his superior about the case, he was urged not to expose "the malpractice and misappropriation of public funds" carried out by the housing service.

During 2024, the worker provided documentation proving three cases (and pointing to many more) and various types of "fraud." According to his testimony, the young people worked while receiving financial benefits, far exceeding the limits set by law. This, apart from entailing a possible misappropriation of public funds, also had implications for the young people, from whom the Treasury ended up demanding large sums, placing them in a vulnerable situation.

Last fall, the complaint passed the Anti-Frau's credibility filter to verify the facts, and is now under investigation. For its part, the Ombudsman requested information from the Department of Social Rights and Inclusion to ensure the protection of these young people, and the response she forwarded to the regional ministry was "insufficient," something that has slowed down the investigation. Given this situation, last week the Ombudsman issued a new request for more and better information. The DGAIA (General Directorate of Accounts) initially stated that the analysis of the three cases reported by this professional demonstrated that there had been no irregularities. However, it opened an information file on the matter.

The Anti-Fraud Office, the Audit Office, and the Ombudsman are collaborating with their investigations to obtain a detailed and comprehensive view of the reported issues. This week, the regional ministry ceased the head of the DGAIA, Isabel Carrasco, appointed in September, and the deputy director of the agency, Joan Mayoral.