This chapter explains what support you can receive for your family in certain circumstances.

Below we will tell you about:

• Benefits for dependent children or foster children (prestaciones por hijo o menor acogido a cargo)
• Benefits for large or one-parent or parents with a disability (prestaciones por nacimiento o adopción en caso de familias numerosas, monoparentales o padres o madres con discapacidad)
• Benefits for multiple birth or adoption (prestación por parto o adopción múltiples)
• Periods considered as insured (periodos considerados como cotizados)

When can you apply for these?

If your family experiences financial difficulties because of your children's birth or adoption, various benefits are available:

• Benefits for dependent children or foster children: if you do not earn more than a certain limit, you can apply for this benefit for each dependent child, foster child under 18 years of age if he/she is affected by a degree of disability of at least 33%, or for children over 18 with a minimum disability of 65%.
• Benefits for large or one-parent families or parents with a disability: if you have a large family (or it becomes one with the arrival of the latest child) or you are a one-parent family or a parent with a minimum disability of 65%, you can apply for this benefit.
• Benefits for multiple birth or adoption: you can apply for this benefit if you give birth to or adopt two or more children at the same time.
• Periods considered as insured: in some cases, the period of leave you request in order to care for a family member is considered as insured period.

What requirements must you meet?

These family benefits are non-contributory, in other words, they do not require you to pay social security contributions in order to apply for them, but they do require you to be resident in Spain.

Benefits for a dependent child or foster child: you can apply for this allowance if you are a biological, adoptive or foster parent, are legally resident in Spain and if:

• You have a dependent child or foster child younger than 18 years old and with a degree of disability of at least 33%, or aged over 18 years with a degree of disability of 65% or more.
• You do not have a right to similar benefits in other social protection schemes.

Benefits for large, one-parent families and parents with a disability: in order to receive this allowance, which is paid as a single payment, the parents or adoptive parents should be resident in Spain, have a yearly income under certain limits and be unable to claim similar benefits under another public social protection scheme.

Benefits for multiple births or adoptions: you can apply for this benefit, paid as a single payment, if you are resident in Spain and are unable to claim similar benefits under another public social protection scheme. If one of your children has a minimum disability of 33%, you receive an allowance equivalent to having an additional child (e.g. if you have 3 children and one is disabled, then you receive allowances for 4 children).

What are you entitled to and how can you apply for it?

Benefits for a dependent child or foster child

Benefit for large or one-parent families and parents with a disability

Benefits for multiple births or adoption

The allowance consists of a single payment, with the amount varying depending on the number of children:

Periods considered as insured: If you ask for a period of leave to care for your children or foster children, you should be aware that the first three years will be considered as contributory for the purpose of retirement, permanent disability, death and survival, maternity and paternity benefits. If you need to take care of another family member up to the second degree who cannot look after themselves, the first year of leave will be considered as contributory.

The INSS is responsible for the award and management of family benefits. You can submit the required documents to their offices. In cases of disability, you should also attach certification of the disability, issued by the appropriate authorities in each Autonomous Community.

Jargon busters

• Dependent child: a "dependent child or foster child" is one who lives with and depends financially on the person applying for benefits.
• One-parent family: a one-parent family is one that is made up of a "single parent" who lives with a biological or adopted child and who is the sole support of the family.

Documents you will need

• Identity of the applicant and of the other parent or adoptive parent
• Certification of the child´s disability issued by the appropriate authorities in each Autonomous Community
• Annual income statement in case benefits for large or one-parent families or mothers with a disability
• Benefits for large or one-parent families or mothers with a disability: title of large family or accreditation of disability

Find out about your entitlements

These links will help you to find out about your entitlements in Spain. They are not European Commission links and do not represent the opinion of the Commission:

• You can find out more about the General Social Security Act in Spain in the Royal Legislative Decree 8/2015 of 30 October.
• The requirements for qualifying as a large family entitled to benefits are included in the Law 40/2003 of 18 November.
• Family benefits are included in the Royal Decree 1335/2005 of 11 November.
• Entitlement to leave for family reasons, according to: Article 46.3 of Workers Statute (Royal Legislative Decree 2/2015 of 23 October).

Publications and web pages of the European Commission:

• Family benefits on Your Europe.

Who can you contact?

Instituto Nacional de la Seguridad Social (INSS)
C/ Padre Damián, 4
28036 Madrid
SPAIN
Tel. +34 915688300 
Fax +34 915640484
Web page: http://www.seg-social.es

Social Security Information Centres

For any problem with your entitlement as a European citizen: EU welfare services.