Federal Pensions Service demands hundreds of thousands back from Brussels attack victims: 'They're panicking'

It's been ten years since the bombs went off in Zaventem and Maalbeek, but for many victims, the nightmare still isn't over. Today, they were hit with another bombshell: the Federal Pensions Service (the former Rijksdienst voor Pensioenen) is demanding they pay back hundreds of thousands of euros. As if the scars and trauma weren't enough, they now have to fear for their financial future as well. I've spoken with several of those affected over the past few hours, and the despair is palpable.

A letter that destroys lives

It all started with an official letter landing on their doormats. People like Mohamed, who was hit by shrapnel all over his body in the airport attack, thought the worst was behind them. For years, they received a so-called recovery pension from the Federal Pensions Service, meant to compensate for their loss of income and permanent injuries. But now, out of the blue, the government agency is turning off the tap. Not only is the payment stopping, they also have to repay all the money they've received over the past few years. For Mohamed alone, that's more than 200,000 euros. "I haven't got that money anymore," he says, his voice cracking with emotion. "I used it to pay for my modified home, therapies, medical costs. Do I have to sell my house now?"

How can this happen?

According to the Federal Pensions Service, it's a matter of an "administrative correction". It seems the recovery pensions continued while victims were also receiving other compensation, for example from the National Institute for Sickness and Disability Insurance or through court settlements. The service claims there was double payment and that they are legally obliged to recover it. Legally, it might be correct, but morally, this makes no sense. These aren't fraudsters; these are people who have been through hell on earth.

Victims in a terrible state

Panic immediately swept through victim support groups. Many have been living on a financial knife-edge for years, dealing with medical issues and psychological problems. And now this. A sample of the reactions I heard:

• A mother who lost her daughter in the Maalbeek metro: she has to pay back 150,000 euros, money she'll never be able to scrape together.
• A man who lost both legs: he used his pension to pay for prosthetics, and now faces a massive debt.
• A young woman with severe brain damage: her guardian fears she'll end up on welfare, because the care she needs is unaffordable without that pension.

They feel abandoned by the government that once promised they would be well taken care of. "We're victims of terrorism, and now we're being victimised again, this time by our own state," one person sighed.

What now?

Politicians have already called for the recoveries to be stopped immediately. Questions are being asked in parliament to the Minister of Pensions. But for now, the Federal Pensions Service is sticking to its guns: the law is the law. Yet, the realisation is dawning that this is an inhumane situation. How can you ask people who have survived hell to cough up hundreds of thousands of euros? Many simply don't have that much money, and a forced sale of their home would mean another disaster. The coming weeks will show whether politicians will intervene. One thing is certain: these people deserve compassion, not a bailiff.