Public Centre for Social Welfare

The Public Centre for Social Welfare (Dutch: Openbaar Centrum voor Maatschappelijk Welzijn, OCMW; French: Centre public d'action sociale, CPAS; German: Öffentliches Sozialhilfezentrum, ÖSHZ) is a public institution that exists in each of the 581 municipalities of Belgium. Every citizen of Belgium has the right to social assistance and social integration.