Public benefits in Spain: a starter guide
This website is free and collects no data. Here is the most important information in English. The step-by-step procedures are in Spanish.
If you need help today
Where to start
- Register at the town hall where you live (empadronamiento). You can do it even without papers. Almost every benefit asks for it.
- Ask for an appointment with the town hall social services (servicios sociales). It is free. A social worker helps you apply.
- Ask for a health card (tarjeta sanitaria) at your health centre. Emergencies, children and pregnant women are always seen.
The main benefits
- Ingreso Mínimo Vital (IMV)
- Monthly money for low-income households. For one person living alone, up to 733,60 € a month. You usually need 1 year of legal residence (there are exceptions).
- Renta mínima de tu comunidad
- Each region has its own minimum income that adds to the IMV. See the map to find yours.
- Complemento de ayuda para la infancia
- Money for each child under 18 in low-income households: up to 115 € a month for each child under 3.
- Prestación y subsidio por desempleo
- Unemployment benefit. You apply at SEPE after losing your job.
- Pensión no contributiva
- For people aged 65 or over, or with a disability, with no pension and low income: 628,80 € a month.
- Bono social de la luz
- A discount on the electricity bill for vulnerable households.
- Dependencia y discapacidad
- If you or a relative need help with daily life. Start at social services.
- Comida y emergencias
- Food banks, Red Cross and Cáritas. Ask at social services.
- Justicia gratuita
- A free lawyer if you have a low income.
Show this sentence at the counter
Hola. No hablo bien español. Necesito ayuda para pedir ayudas sociales. ¿Me puede atender un trabajador social o un intérprete, por favor?
To find out which benefits you may get, answer the questions on the website (in Spanish). If it is hard to follow, use your browser's translate button.
Answer the questions (in Spanish) See the benefits in my region