Unemployment benefits
Content
Protection for unemployment
Unemployment protection is for persons of working age who are in one of the following situations:
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they have lost their job,
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their contract ends,
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their working hours have been reduced.
This protection can be:
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full protection, when the worker ceases the work he/she was doing,
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partial protection, when the person’s normal daily working hours are reduced (from a minimum of 10% to a maximum of 70%, with the salary reduced correspondingly).
Protection can be provided on two levels:
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At contributory level, providing benefits to workers who have lost their job, with the requirement that they have first paid in to the system, granting the benefit according to the period for which the person has contributed.
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At social care level, offering protection to unemployed workers who are in specific situations, including the following:
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persons who have used up their unemployment benefits and have family responsibilities, or persons who have used up their benefits, have no family responsibilities and are over 45 years old;
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Spanish migrant workers returning from a country outside of the European Economic Area;
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persons over 52 years old who meet the requirements.
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Contributory unemployment benefit
Requirements
Persons whose contract has ended, who have been dismissed from their job or have had their working hours and salary reduced by between 10 and 70% may get this benefit if the following conditions are met:
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they are registered in the Spanish social security system, paying unemployment contributions;
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they have paid in to the system for at least 360 days over the 6 years prior to becoming unemployed,
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they are over 16 years of age and have not yet reached normal retirement age,
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they are registered as a jobseeker with the public employment service, are actively seeking employment and are willing to accept suitable work in order to qualify for retirement.
Amount
The amount of the benefit is worked out from the assessment base (the average of the unemployment contribution bases for the last 180 days worked, excluding pay for overtime).
For persons who have become fully unemployed, unemployment benefits entitle them to:
| First 180 days | From the 181st day |
|---|---|
| 70% of the assessment basis | 50% of the assessment basis |
The amount paid in benefits may under no circumstances be higher than or lower than the established thresholds, which depend on the number of family members dependent on the unemployed person.
| Without any children | With children | |
|---|---|---|
Minimum |
80% of the IPREM |
107% of the IPREM |
| Without any children | With one child | With two children | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum |
175% of the IPREM , plus one sixth (EUR 1098.09/month) |
200% of the IPREM , plus one sixth (EUR 1254.96/month |
225% of the IPREM , plus one sixth (EUR 1411.83/month) |
For unemployment due to losing a part-time job, the benefit will be calculated in proportion to the reduction in working hours.
The minimum and maximum thresholds will be reduced proportionally after applying the percentage of hours worked out of the normal working hours of the company.
Duration
The benefits may last for between 120 and 720 days, depending on the period of time for which the person paid social security contributions during the 6 years prior to becoming unemployed.
Applying
These benefits are handled by the State Public Employment Service (SEPE) and can be requested through:
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A SEPE office
, with a prior appointment
Further information
Information for each Autonomous Community
Andalucía Aragón Asturias, Principado de Balears, Illes Canarias Cantabria Castilla y León Castilla-La Mancha Cataluña Ciudad de Ceuta Ciudad de Melilla Comunitat Valenciana Extremadura Galicia Madrid, Comunidad de Murcia, Región de Navarra, Comunidad Foral de País Vasco Rioja, La
