There are several subsidies, deductions and leave that you can request if you have minors in your care
Having children can be a blessing, but it is also a great responsibility and financial outlay. For many families they can come to mean a sacrifice, which is why many parents opt for some help or subsidy that guarantees -or at least alleviates- the economic situation to meet the expense of the arrival of a baby. There is a good number of public aids to promote parenting in the form of money or social support for new fathers and mothers in Spain:
maternity and paternity leave
Since last year, the leave for the birth of a baby is the same for both parents: six mandatory, uninterrupted and full-time weeks after childbirth, which can be followed by another ten weeks that can be enjoyed in periods cumulatively or distributed within of the full year. It is possible to extend these leaves for one more week for each of the parents if the newborn is the second child or later, if it is a multiple birth or if the baby suffers from some type of disability.
Reduction of working hours due to breastfeeding
The father and mother are also entitled to nursing leave until the baby is 8 months old. It can be taken in several ways: half an hour off and paid each working day at the beginning or end of the day, one hour within the day or accumulate all free hours in several full days off. This social assistance cannot be transferred, so if one of the two parents decides not to use it, it is lost.
Financial aid for multiple births
This benefit consists of an aid of 1,000 euros in a single payment that is granted in the event of multiple births or adoptions. It is intended to support the birth and care of the minor and can be requested by large families, single mothers or those with a disability who meet the economic requirements.
Deduction for large family
In this case, it is about applying a deduction in the Income Statement by which large families of the general category can save 200 euros per year and up to 400 for those of a special type. This aid requires that the applicant be active in Social Security or be a pensioner or unemployed receiving a subsidy.
Maternity deduction for working mothers
Whether they are employed or self-employed, working mothers can deduct up to 1,200 euros on their Income Statement during the newborn’s first three years of life. If you have paid custody expenses for the child, the aid can be increased by up to an additional 1,000 euros. It is also possible to request an advance payment of 100 euros per month per child under three years of age.
The help of the State Public Employment Service is aimed at mothers with family responsibilities who have ended up with an unemployment benefit. In addition, those who have not contributed enough to have this benefit, can request a subsidy for insufficient contributions if they have contributed at least three months. If the family responsibilities are not due to children, six months are necessary to apply for this aid.
Aid for a foster child or minor
In this area, the aid has undergone a modification in 2022. Those intended for dependent children or minors under the age of 18 without disability or with a disability of less than 33% have disappeared and have been integrated into the Minimum Vital Income.
Those aimed at families with children with disabilities equal to or greater than 65% and others for the 75% limit, whose requirements in both cases do not contemplate any maximum income limitation, remain the same as before. In the case of the former, the amount is 4,474.20 euros per year or 395.60 euros per month per child; while in the latter the figure amounts to 7,120 euros per year or 593.40 euros per month.
Aimed at families with very low incomes, this option of the Minimum Vital Income replaces the benefit for a child under 18 years of age with a disability of less than 33% or without it. The amounts granted in this case depend on the amount of the guaranteed income, the income of the beneficiary as well as the minors in their care.
Bonus to hire a caregiver
This is a 45% Social Security bonus for single-parent or large families who need to hire a professional to help care for dependent minors.
New aid of 100 euros per month
It is the great novelty in 2022 in terms of aid for fathers and mothers. The aid of 100 euros is a supplement intended for people with lower incomes. The limits are: families of two adults and one child with a total income of up to 27,000 euros and families with two adults and two children whose income does not exceed 32,100 euros.
If the family is single-parent, mothers or fathers with a dependent child can earn up to 25,700 euros a year, while if they have more than one child the amount rises to 30,800. The amount of this new help varies according to the age of the minors: between 0 and 3 years, 100 euros per month; between 3 and 6 years, 70 euros; from 6 to 18 years, 40 euros per month.