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The Spanish Constitution guarantees that all citizens receive healthcare and social benefits in case of need. Social Security is the channel through which this care is guaranteed for all citizens and their families.
If you have worked in more than one EU Member State or in countries that have signed agreements with the European Union, the different retirement pension periods are added together in calculating the minimum contribution period. If you now have the right to retire, you may request to have the pension paid either in your own country or in Spain, even outside of the EU in countries that have signed the agreement. Each insurance body will pay according to the time insured with each of them. This rule also applies to the payment of survivors' pensions.
If you are residing in Spain and you are still registered in the insurance system of your own country or another member country, you must continue to pay the corresponding contributions. Once you reach retirement age, you can file your application in Spain with the authorized insurance entity. Non-contributory disability and retirement pensions have been transferred to the Autonomous Regions. Contact the Social Security Support and Information Centers, your town's Local Social Services or the Departments of Social Welfare for the region in which you reside. To find the one nearest you, visit http://www.igerontologico.com/serviciossociales.php. Benefits may be obtained either through the insurance entity in Spain or through the corresponding entity in your country.
Among other duties, the National Social Security Institute (INSS) recognizes and controls the right to economic benefits granted by the Social Security System, including economic assignments for children or minors in foster care and payments for the birth or adoption of a child in the case of large families, single-parent families and in the case of mothers with disabilities (as well as for multiple births or adoptions). It also recognizes the right to medical care. It manages pensions for retirement, permanent disability, widows and widowers, orphans, for family members and economic benefits derived from work-related accidents and professional illnesses, as well as subsidies for temporary disability, maternity, paternity, risk during pregnancy and risk during breastfeeding. For more information on the benefits to which you have a right while working and residing in Spain, visit the website or contact the local Social Security office nearest you in the Autonomous Region in which you reside. The website is www.seg-social.es. Look under "prestaciones" ("benefits") and "direcciones y teléfonos" ("addresses and phone numbers").
All citizens who are retired, disabled or in need have the right to economic benefits, free medical and pharmaceutical care and social services, even when they have not paid Social Security contributions or the contributions were insufficient. To access the non-contributory retirement pension, you must be aged 65 or old, live in Spain and have resided here for at least 10 years. To receive benefits for disability (physical, mental or sensory), you must be at least 18 and less than 65 years old, live in Spain and have resided in Spain for at least 5 years, the last two immediately prior to applying for the pension, be affected by a disability (assessed by specialists) greater than or equal to 65% and lack sufficient earnings or income.
The family benefit is an economic assignment for each child or minor in foster care under the age of 18. In this case, the annual income must be less than the limit established annually in the Spanish Budget Act. Beneficiaries also include families with children over the age of 18 with disabilities greater than or equal to 65% (regardless of the family's income). All individuals registered in the Social Security System are eligible for these benefits. You can apply for them at the Social Security Support and Information Center nearest you. Foreigners residing in Spain have the right to the same benefits as Spanish citizens.
In Spain, women have three basic guaranteed rights when they become mothers: medical care, maternity leave and economic aid.
As regards economic rights, a subsidy will be paid equal to 100% of the regulatory base (where the regulatory base is the contribution base for the month prior to the start of leave). For more details, visit the Social Security website: www.seg-social.es.
In the case of birth, when female workers employed by others meet all of the established requirements, except for the minimum contribution period, the will be beneficiaries of a special, non-contributory economic benefit for maternity. The amount of the benefit will be equal to 100% of the multiplier for the public income index (IPREM) in effect at that time, except when the regulatory base is a lesser amount, in which case the latter will apply.
The duration of the special benefit is 42 calendar days from the date of birth.
Finally, a lump-sum economic benefit has been established for births or adoptions that occur beginning on 1 July 2007. The beneficiaries have the right to either a deduction or a benefit.
This benefit may be increased by €1,000 in the cases of large families, single-parent families and mothers with disabilities.
Likewise, all employed women who have paid into Social Security receive aid from the Tax Agency (Ministry of the Treasury) in the amount of €100 a month for each child under the age of 3. There is an information brochure available on the website (www.agenciatributaria.es) in the Información tributaria -Otra información- Deducciones por maternidad (Tax Information - Other Information - Deductions for Maternity) section. You can also call: 901 200 345.
For any information related to women regarding legal aspects such as: marriage, kinship, civil registry, labor law, abuse, rape, free justice, etc., contact the Women's Institute, which is part of the Ministry of Equality:
C/ Condesa de Venadito, n° 34
28027 MADRID
Phone: 91 363 80 00 (centralita)
E-mail: inmujer@mtas.es
www.migualdad.es/mujer/index.html
| Information Centers: | |
|---|---|
| C/Génova, 11 - 1º dcha. 28004 Madrid Phone Nos.: 91 700 19 10 - 91 700 19 18 |
C/Vargas, 53, 3ª planta 39010 Santander Phone Nos.: 942 23 57 58 942 23 56 64 |
| Free Hotline: 900 19 10 10 - 900 152 152 (hearing impaired women) | |
The Spanish Public Employment Service is an independent entity assigned to the Ministry of Labor and Immigration that is responsible for managing the unemployment benefits system, among other responsibilities. This task is carried out in cooperation with the Public Employment Services in each of the Autonomous Regions. Your local employment office can provide you with more information on how to apply for these benefits. You can also visit the Spanish Public Employment Service website: www.inem.es or the following URL, where you can find answers to frequently asked questions: www.inem.es/inem/enlaces/faq/
The Spanish Public Employment Service benefits and subsidies are available to workers from the EU, the EEA (European Economic Area) or Switzerland who reside in Spain. They are also available to workers from other countries who reside and work legally in Spain.
If you are receiving unemployment benefits in any European Economic Area (EEA) country, you may continue to receive them in any other EEA country (for example, Spain) while you are looking for work here. However, there are certain requirements that must be met:
The opposite is also true: if you are working in Spain and you end up unemployed, you can complete the reverse formalities to receive unemployment benefits in any other EEA country.
For a list of the public employment services in the EU countries prior to expansion, visit the web page: www.inem.es/inem/ciudadano/empleo/eures
To receive the unemployment benefit in Spain, you must have contributed to Social Security for a minimum of one year (360 days). That period gives you the right to receive benefits for 120 days (4 months). To find out how long your benefit period is in each case, visit the following web page, where this information provided in detail: www.inem.es/inem/ciudadano/prestaciones/index.html.
You must also certify that you are actively seeking employment.
The amount received for the unemployment benefit is established according to the average salary for which you have made contributions (not counting overtime) during the 6 months prior to becoming unemployed. During the first 180 days of unemployment, you will receive 70% of that average and then 60%.
Minimum limit. The amount of the benefit cannot be less than:
Maximum limit . The maximum amount of the benefit is based on the number of dependent children the beneficiary has.
An amount equivalent to 10 days will be deducted from the first subsidy payment and paid with the final payment. For more complete information, see: www.inem.es/inem/ciudadano/prestaciones/index.html
There are several reasons for which the unemployment rights may be suspended:
The Administration guarantees social benefits through several entities assigned to the Ministry of Labor and Immigration and the Ministry of Education, Social Policy, and Sports.
