FAQ

General questions about Ombuds Brussels

• In what circumstances will Ombuds Brussels be able to help me?

  Ombuds Brussels can help you if you have an issue with one of the Brussels public services:

  • a regional authority, for instance Brussels Taxation, Brussels Mobility, Urban, Actiris…
  • a COCOF (French Community Commission Commission) administration, for instance Brussels Training, school transport, support for people with disabilities…
  • a COCOM (Common Community Commission) administration, for instance Vivalis, Iriscare, Famiris…
  • a Brussels municipality or Public Centre for Social Welfare (CPAS)

  Examples of topics: child benefit, regional fines (LEZ, vacant properties), property tax, issues with your municipality, renovation grants, economic subsidies, rent allowances, a local tax, assistance from the PCSW…

  Exceptions: STIB-MIVB, Vivaqua, the municipality and CPAS of Ixelles and the municipality of Woluwe-Saint-Lambert who have their own ombudsmen. Ombuds Brussels cannot deal with complains about those public services. However, Ombuds Brussels can deal with reports of integrity violations within these public services.

• What should I do if I have an issue with another administration?

  If you have an issue with one of the following public or private services, another ombudsman will probably be able to help you. On the website ombudsman.be, you will find all the Belgian ombudsmen.

  • A non-Brussels public service (for instance at a federal level, a Walloon or a Flemish public service…)
  • Another service like a bank, a delivery service, an insurance company, an energy supplier, a telecom provider, etc.

• What is the difference between a complaint and a public interest disclosure?

  • A complaint concerns an individual problem a citizen, association or company has with an administration.
  • A public interest disclosure allows members of staff of an administration (employees, external staff or subcontractors) to expose incidents of abuse, fraud or a serious irregularity contrary to the common interest they were witness to.

• What are the conditions to lodge a complaint against an administration?

  To lodge a complaint, you need to meet the following three conditions:
  

  1. You must have contacted the administration to explain your problem first. You will find the contact details of its complaints department on the following page.
  2. The administration must be a regional administration or a Brussels municipal administration*. Click here for the list of the relevant administrations.
  3. The issue must have arisen less than three years ago.

  * There are a number of exceptions, such as STIB-MIVB, Vivaqua, the municipality and the PCSW of Ixelles, the municipality of Woluwe-Saint-Lambert. These administrations have their own ombudsmen; you will find their contact details here.

• I think I have come across an incident of fraud or abuse within a public service, what can I do?

  • Do you work for or with the administration? You can report the facts to Ombuds Brussels.
  • Are you a citizen, a business or an organisation and do you believe that the administration committed fraud or an abuse while dealing with your file? Lodge a complaint with Ombuds Brussels. You can check whether you meet the conditions.