This chapter explains how to obtain financial support in the event of being unemployed if you have not paid enough social security contributions or if you meet some special requirements.

Below we will tell you about:

• Non-contributory unemployment allowance (subsidio por desempleo de nivel asistencial)
• Active integration income (renta activa de inserción)

When can you apply for these?

If you are unemployed but have not paid enough social security contributions or fall into a specific category, you can opt for some of the non-contributory unemployment benefits that exist in Spain:

• Non-contributory unemployment allowance: you can apply for this if you are not entitled to contributory unemployment benefits because you have not paid the social security contributions required, or because you have exhausted contributory benefits but are still unemployed.
• Active integration income: you can apply for this if you are long-term unemployed and are between 45 and 65 years old. Emigrant workers returning from abroad who are older than 45, people with disabilities and victims of gender violence can also apply for it.

What requirements must you meet?

Non-contributory unemployment allowance: if you want to opt for this support, in the first place you should have been registered for at least a month in an employment agency and not have rejected any suitable employment or professional training programme run by the SEPE (Servicio Público de Empleo Estatal). You should have an income of less than 75% of the minimum wage. In addition, you should meet one of the following conditions:

• Have dependents and have exhausted the unemployment benefit.
• Be older than 45, without dependents and have received unemployment benefit.
• Be older than 55 and meet the requirements for a retirement pension (except for the age requirement).
• Have paid contributions for less than twelve months but more than three months (with family responsibilities) or more than six months (without family responsibilities).
• Be an emigrant returning from a country with which there is no unemployment security agreement or have been released from prison.

Active integration income: to receive this support, you should be unemployed, younger than 65 and have an income of less than 75% of the minimum wage. In addition, you should meet one of these requirements:

• Be long-term unemployed and older than 45.
• Be a returned emigrant, older than 45 and have worked outside Spain for at least six months.
• People with disabilities.
• Victims of gender violence.

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

These benefits are managed by the Servicio Público de Empleo Estatal (SEPE).

Jargon busters

• Contributions: to be entitled to social security system benefits, workers should pay regular contributions. This obligation commences when your working life starts.
• IPREM is the Indicador Público de Rentas de Efectos Múltiples.

Documents you will need

You can apply for your benefit at the Public Employment Service (Servicio Público de Empleo Estatal). Here you should submit the documents required, together with the "Application for unemployment benefit" or the application for "Active Integration Income", in addition to your Income Declaration.

• Application for unemployment benefits/allowances
• Income tax return
• Income tax return for those aged 52-55
• Active integration income
• You can also apply for an extension of your rights in order to move within the EU to look for employment.

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.
• Income levels set in Spain can be found in Article 275 of the revised text of General Law of Social Security.
• New measures introduced by Royal Decree-Law 4/2013 on the issue of benefits.
• Access a summary of the types of unemployment allowances.
• Royal Decree-Law 1/2013 which extends the professional retraining programme for people who exhaust their unemployment benefit.

Publications and web pages of the European Commission:

• Unemployment: your entitlements as a European citizen abroad.

Who can you contact?

State Public Employment Service
SEPE central services
C/ Condesa de Venadito, 9
28027 Madrid - SPAIN
Tel. +34 917006600
Fax +34 917006716
Telephone number for workers: +34 901119999

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