The Minimum Living Income is a benefit aimed at preventing the risk of poverty and social exclusion of people who live alone or are integrated into a household and lack basic economic resources to cover their basic needs.
Age of recipients:
- Age 23 or over (general case).
- Age 18 or over (specific cases):
- Women of legal age who are victims of gender-based violence or victims of human trafficking and sexual exploitation.
- Persons between 18 and 22 years of age who come from residential centres for the protection of minors of the Autonomous Communities having been under the guardianship of Public Entities for the protection of minors in the three years prior to reaching the age of majority, or who have lost both parents, provided that they live alone without being part of a household.
- Homeless people.
- Persons of legal age or emancipated minors, when they have children or minors in foster care for the purpose of adoption or permanent family foster care
Individual beneficiaries:
- Persons of at least 23 years of age who, although sharing a residence with a household, are not integrated, provided that:
- they are not married, unless they have initiated separation or divorce proceedings.
- they are not in a common-law relationship with another person.
- do not form part of another household.
- In the case of persons aged between 23 and 29, they must have been legally and effectively resident in Spain and have lived independently for at least two years prior to submitting their application, unless they have left their habitual place of residence because they are victims of gender-based violence, have initiated separation or divorce proceedings or other circumstances to be determined.
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In the case of persons over 30 years of age, they must prove that, during the year immediately prior to that date, their residence in Spain has been different from that of their parents, guardians or foster carers, unless the cessation of cohabitation with the parents, guardians or foster carers was due to the death of the latter.
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Women of legal age who are victims of gender-based violence or victims of human trafficking and sexual exploitation.
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Persons between 18 and 22 years of age who come from residential centres for the protection of minors of the different Autonomous Communities having been under the guardianship of Public Entities for the protection of minors in the three years prior to reaching the age of majority, or who have lost both parents, provided that they live alone without being part of a household.
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Homeless people.
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Persons who are permanent users of a residential, social, health or social-health service, except in the case of women who are victims of gender-based violence or victims of human trafficking and sexual exploitation, shall not be entitled to the benefit.
- Household:
The recipients of the IMV, i.e. the persons who receive the benefit on behalf of the household and represent it, must have legal capacity and must be at least 23 years of age.
Persons of legal age or emancipated minors may also be recipients, provided they have legal capacity, when:
● Have children or minors in foster care for the purpose of adoption or permanent family foster care.
● They have lost both parents when they are the only members of the household and none of them has reached the age of 23 years.
The household unit is made up of all persons living at the same address, whether they are married or cohabiting as a couple or in a relationship up to the second degree of consanguinity or affinity, adoption, and other persons with whom they are living by virtue of foster care for the purpose of adoption or permanent foster care.
Clarification: There are two requirements for common law couples. Firstly, registration at least two years before, and secondly, uninterrupted cohabitation for at least five years
The benefit may be paid to persons who, without forming part of the household or forming part of an independent household, live at the same address with others with whom they have one of the aforementioned family ties. To do so, they must be in one of the following situations:
a) When a woman, a victim of gender-based violence, has left her habitual family home.
b) When, on the occasion of the commencement of separation, annulment or divorce proceedings or the dissolution of a formally constituted unmarried partnership, a person has left his or her habitual family residence.
c) When it is proven that the home has been abandoned due to eviction or because it has become uninhabitable as a result of an accident or force majeure.
In the cases foreseen in paragraphs b) and c), consideration as an independent unit shall only be applicable during the three years following the date on which the events indicated in each of them occurred.
When people who do not share the aforementioned kinship ties live together in the same household, those who are at risk of social exclusion may be entitled to the minimum living income, a circumstance that must be accredited by the social services or by third sector entities registered in the register of social mediators of the minimum living income.
The household must have been in existence continuously for at least six months prior to the submission of the application.
Temporary separation for reasons of study, work, medical treatment, rehabilitation or other similar circumstances is not considered to be a breach of cohabitation.
- Registration in the municipal register:
The address of the recipient and of all the members of his or her household, or of the individual beneficiary, must be accredited with the certificate of residence and/or cohabitation in Spain (Certificado de Padrón de residencia and/or convivencia en España).
- Legal residence:
Individual beneficiaries or members of a household must have been legally and effectively resident in Spain continuously and uninterruptedly for at least the year prior to submitting the application. The one-year time limit is not required of:
● Minors incorporated into the household by birth, adoption, family reunification of sons and daughters, foster care for adoption purposes or permanent foster care.
● Victims of human trafficking and sexual exploitation.
● Women victims of gender-based violence.
- Necessary documentation:
The identity, both of the applicants and of those who form the household unit, is accredited, in the case of Spanish nationals, by means of the national identity document and, in the case of foreign citizens, by means of the national identity document of their country of origin or provenance, the foreigner’s identification card or passport and, in addition, they must accredit their identity or legal residence in Spain.
- Employment status:
● The benefit is compatible with work, whether salaried or self-employed, as long as the household income does not exceed the established limits.
● Persons of legal age or emancipated minors who are not working must be registered as job seekers.
● Individual beneficiaries under 30 years of age must have been registered with the Social Security for at least 12 months, continuous or not, during a minimum period of two years of independent living before applying.
- Income:
In order to determine the situation of economic vulnerability, the economic capacity of the individual applicant or of the household unit will be taken into consideration, calculating the resources of all its members.
This requirement is met when the average monthly income and computable annual income for the previous year is at least 10 euros less than the monthly amount guaranteed by the corresponding minimum living income according to the type and number of members of the household. The amount of pensions and benefits, whether contributory or non-contributory, public or private, shall count as income.
| Income threshold 2024*. Non-single parent household |
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|---|---|---|
| Household | Income/year | Income/month |
| One adult | 7,130.52 € | 594.21 € |
| One adult and one minor | 9,305.76 € | 775.48 € |
| Three people | 11,480.88 € | 956,74 € |
| Four people | 13,656.12 € | 1,138.01 € |
| Five or more people | 15,831.24 € | 1,319.27 € |
(*) Table prepared by the authors.
| Income threshold 2024*. Single parent household |
||
|---|---|---|
| Household | Euros/year | Euros/month |
| One adult and one minor | 10,900.80 € | 908,40 € |
| One adult and two minors | 13,076.04 € | 1.089,67 € |
| One adult and three minors | 15,251.16 € | 1,270.93 € |
| One adult and four or more minors | 17,426.40 € | 1,452.20 € |
(*) Table prepared by the authors.
| Income threshold 2024*. Single parent household. Parents/grandparents/guardians or foster parents, one of whom has a recognised degree 3 of dependency, absolute permanent incapacity or severe disability. |
||
|---|---|---|
| Household | Euros/year | Euros/month |
| Two adults and one minor | 13,076.04 € | 1,089.67 € |
| Two adults and two minors | 15,251.16 € | 1,270.93 € |
| Two adults and three or more minors | 17,426.40 € | 1,452.20 € |
(*) Table prepared by the authors.
- Wealth:
An individual beneficiary is not considered to be in a situation of economic vulnerability if he/she has a net worth, not including the habitual residence, valued at an amount equal to or greater than three times the corresponding amount of income guaranteed by the minimum living income for an individual beneficiary. In 2023 this is equivalent to 20,353.62 euros.
In the case of households, they shall not be considered to be in a situation of economic vulnerability when they own assets, not including the usual dwelling, valued at an amount equal to or greater than that indicated in this table, depending on the size and configuration of the household.
| Net wealth threshold (excluding habitual residence) | |
|---|---|
| Household | Wealth limit |
| One person (a single adult) | 21,751.56 € |
| Two people (one adult and one minor, two adults) | 30,452.18 € |
| Three people (one adult and two minors, two adults and one minor, three adults) | 39,152.80 € |
| Four people (one adult and three minors, two adults and two minors, three adults and one minor, four adults) | 47,853.43 € |
| Five or more people (one adult and more than three minors, two adults and more than two minors, three adults and more than two minors, four adults and one minor, other) |
56,554.05 € |
Individual beneficiaries or households who own non-corporate assets without a habitual residence for a value greater than that indicated in this table for each configuration of the household unit will be excluded from access to the minimum living income, regardless of the valuation of net wealth:
| Maximum value of wealth (excluding habitual residence) | |
|---|---|
| Household | Wealth limit |
| One person (a single adult) | 43,503.12 € |
| Two people (one adult and one minor, two adults) | 60,904.36 € |
| Three people (one adult and two minors, two adults and one minor, three adults) | 78,305.60 € |
| Four people (one adult and three minors, two adults and two minors, three adults and one minor, four adults) | 95,706.86 € |
| Five or more people (one adult and more than three minors, two adults and more than two minors, three adults and more than two minors, four adults and one minor, other) | 113,108.10 € |
For more information on the rules for calculating wealth, click here.
- Recognised disability/Dependency:
A supplement equivalent to 22% shall be added to the monthly amount corresponding to the household in the event that the household includes a person with a recognised degree of disability equal to or greater than 65%.
- Victim of gender-based violence:
Women victims of gender-based violence and women victims of human trafficking and sexual exploitation do not have to meet the requirement of having legal and effective residence in Spain continuously and uninterruptedly for at least one year prior to applying. They can prove their legal residence in Spain with the provisional residence permit issued by the competent authority to grant the residence permit for exceptional circumstances while this latter permit is being processed.
- Exemptions for this benefit:
The receipt of the minimum living income benefit will be incompatible with the receipt of the financial support for a dependent child or minor, without disability or with a disability of less than 33%, when there are identical claimants or beneficiaries of the same.
The child allowance is incompatible with the financial allowance for a dependent child without disability or with a disability of less than 33%.
If the person concerned fulfils the conditions for entitlement to the family allowance and the minimum living income allowance, he/she must choose one of the two.
As of 1 January 2023, the status of beneficiary of the IMV financial support is incompatible with the assistance pensions that are still being received and these will be terminated when the IMV benefit is awarded to the beneficiaries as of 1 January 2023.
The termination of the assistance pension shall take effect on the same date on which the financial support of the minimum living income takes effect.
- Amount and frequency:
The amount of the minimum living income for the individual beneficiary or the household will be the difference between the guaranteed income and the total income and income of these persons, provided that the resulting amount is equal to or greater than 10 euros per month.
The monthly amount of the guaranteed income in 2023 will be, for an individual beneficiary, 100% of the annual amount of non-contributory pensions divided by twelve. In 2023 it is 604,21 euros.
For the household, the above amount increased by 30% for each additional member from the second onwards, with a maximum of 220%.
The amount mentioned in the previous point is increased by a supplement of 22% in the case of a single-parent household.
A supplement equivalent to 22% will be added to the monthly amount corresponding to the individual beneficiary or to the household in the event that the household includes a person with a recognised degree of disability equal to or greater than 65%.
The monthly amounts for 2024 are as follows:
| Guaranteed income amounts in 2024*. Non-single parent household |
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|---|---|---|
| Household | Euros/year | Euros/month |
| One adult | 7,250.52 € | 604.21 € |
| Two people | 9,425.76€ | 785.48 € |
| Three people | 11,600.88 € |
966.74 € |
| Four people | 13,766.12 € |
1,148.01 € |
| Five or more people | 15,951.24 € | 1,329.27 € |
(*) Table prepared by the authors.
| Guaranteed income amounts in 2024*. Single parent household |
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|---|---|---|
| Household | Euros/year | Euros/month |
| One adult and one minor | 11,020.80 € | 918.40 € |
| One adult and two minors | 13,196.04 € | 1,099.67 € |
| One adult and three minors | 15,371.16 € | 1,280.93 € |
| One adult and four minors | 17,546.40 € | 1,462.20 € |
(*) Table prepared by the authors.
| Guaranteed income amounts in 2024*. Single parent household. Parents/grandparents/guardians or foster parents, one of whom has a recognised degree 3 of dependency, absolute permanent incapacity or severe disability. |
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|---|---|---|
| Household | Euros/year | Euros/month |
| Two adults and one minor | 13,196.04 € | 1,099.67 € |
| Two adults and two minors | 15,371.16 € | 1,280.93 € |
| Two adults and three or more minors menors | 17,546.40 € | 1,462.20 € |
(*) Table prepared by the authors.
- Supplementary financial support for children:
In addition to the amounts indicated above, a monthly child allowance supplement is paid for each minor in the household (on the date of application) according to the full age on 1 January of the corresponding financial year, in accordance with the following ranges:
- Children under the age of three: 115 euros.
- Over three and under six years of age: 80,50 euros.
- Over six and under eighteen years of age: 57,50 euros.
For the purpose of determining the amount, children or minors or adults with judicially established support measures for decision-making who form part of different family units in cases of judicially established shared custody are considered to form part of the unit in which they reside.