Child Support In Spain

The Spanish social security system offers a great deal of benefits for its citizens. If you are working in Spain, you must make monthly social security contributions. By virtue of these payments, you will have access to free healthcare in Spain, retirement benefits and a great deal of other advantages. Recently, Spain has introduced legislation which will allow low income families to claim child benefit payments in a bid to improve their standards of living to some degree.

What Is Child Support In Spain?

The Spanish government pays out a certain amount as a child benefit to families with children under 18. In addition to this, the Spanish government has announced that families with low incomes, who do not receive the minimum wage and have dependent children can claim an additional benefit. This is done to ease the cost of living for these families.

How Much Is Child Support In Spain?

In the most recent legislation, the families will be able to receive up to 100 euros each month, depending on the age of the child. They should also meet the income threshold. The amount will differ according to the age of the children in the family. For children in the 0 to 3 age group, the family will receive 100 euros for each child. The amount is 70 euros per child in the 3 to 6 years age group, whereas for children in the 6 to 18 age group the family will receive 50 euros per month for each child. The total allowance can even go up to 200 euros for larger families i.e. those with more than 5 children.

The amount of the overall child grant is not fixed and will differ according to the specifics of each case. You can claim 341 euros for one child under 18 who does not have a disability, 682 euros for two children with no disability, 1023 per year for three children in charge. The amount will continue increasing with the number of children.

You must keep in consideration though, that there is also a limit on the annual income that a beneficiary can receive for children under their care. The cap is 12, 313 euros per year if there are two children in the family, and 18,532 euros annually for large families (this amount will increase by 3,002 euros for each child after the fourth).

Single mothers, large families and persons with disabilities are also entitled to a one-time 1000 euros payment at the time of birth.

Who Can Claim Child Support In Spain?

You must be a Spanish citizen in order to apply for this benefit, and should be able to demonstrate that you are not eligible to receive any other assistance of the same nature.

The policy is specifically targeted towards low income families and those receiving the minimum wage or Ingreso Minimo Vital. Families which have two adults and one child and an annual household income less than 27,000 euros, and families made up of two adults and two or more children and an annual income less than 32,100 euros will be eligible for this benefit.

Single parent families can also apply, and the minimum threshold will be slightly different for them. Those with one child and an annual income less than 25,700 euros, and those with two or more children and less than 30,800 euros of income will be eligible. Therefore, single mothers who have two children will be entitled to the same benefits that are currently given to familias numerosas (families with three or more children). Families earning more than the threshold amount will not be able to claim this benefit.

How To Apply For Child Support In Spain?

If you wish to apply for this benefit, you must apply through the National Social Security Institute (INSS). You can apply for it if you have not received a similar assistance from any other government program. The application will also need to include the following:

• Valid ID of the beneficiary and any children older than 14
• NIE if the applicant is a foreign person
• Family book
• Proof of household income
• Certificate of packing
• Disability title as issued by the relevant competent body (in case of children with disabilities)

Is Child Support Taxable In Spain?

Child benefits are paid out as a form of assistance by the government and do not require a contribution to the social securities fund. The amount is also exempted from taxes.

How To Cancel Child Support?

Generally, this aid is maintained as long as the family meets the criteria to access it i.e. can prove a lack of income. Usually, it will stop when a child reaches the age of majority.

However, if you wise to cancel it, you can simply let the INSS know in writing (which is the authority responsible for disbursing this amount) and they will remove your name from the list of beneficiaries.

Final Thoughts

Child support is an excellent form of assistance offered by the Spanish government which will help many families. As long as you are eligible, you should definitely apply for the aid and use this guide as your starting point.