Paulette, like many Belgians, is still waiting to receive the promised oil check

The FPS Economy had undertaken to rule on the admissibility of the fuel oil check request for 225 euros within two months of receiving it. A check to compensate for the increase in the price of fuel oil. But for some files, the two months are exceeded.

Many of you are still waiting for your oil check. Payment is late. Last June, the federal government decided to grant households a fuel oil check (or bulk propane) of 225 euros net to compensate for the increase in financial expenditure on energy. The measure entered into force on July 7 and applications might therefore be submitted. This unique and fixed allocation concerns deliveries made between November 15, 2021 and until December 31, 2022.

The administration is visibly struggling to follow up and respond within the deadlines it had set itself. Several of you have shared your concerns and questions with us via the orange ‘Alert us’ button on RTL INFO.

The first requests, however, date back to the beginning of the summer. Oil check requests might be submitted as early as July 7 with a promise made at the time. “Within two months, we agree to the agreement or not in relation to the request”, explained the FPS Economy.

People who answer the call center do not have access to the files

On July 18, Paulette submitted her fuel oil check request online. Two months later, still nothing. “I got worried because I had no more news.” She called the FPS Economy call center many times. “We wait, we have beautiful music. It’s always the same thing. They didn’t tell me anything at all. I don’t know if the file is complete. I have no idea, I don’t know.” Cédric is very disappointed: “We made our request on July 8. The deadline has passed. I inquired to find out where it was. I still don’t know. The people who answer the call center do not have access to the files.”

So two months, was that tenable for the administration? “Of course, this is an estimate so in some cases it might be a little more“, explains today the FPS Economy. A missing proof, an erroneous date, a letter or a number more or less … a nothing can make the automation seize up. Make way for manual processing which is much longer.

In 2 months, out of 350,000 requests, only 60,000 payments have been made and 130,000 files are awaiting the last green light in the coming days. The rest of the files will be processed later.

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