Unemployment subsidy (subsidio) in Spain: who qualifies and how to apply
The subsidy is SEPE’s income-based unemployment support — for people who do not qualify for the unemployment benefit based on contributions (paro) or have used it up. Since the 2024 reform, the amount decreases in stages and eligibility is tied to your income. This guide covers who qualifies, exactly how many months you get for 90, 120, 150 or 180 days of contributions (with and without family responsibilities), how much, documents, deadlines and the common refusal reasons — and connects to the unemployment benefit based on contributions (paro), the Ingreso Mínimo Vital (IMV) and the specific subsidies.
Paro: what you are entitled to — and what you can lose
Two things matter most: your contribution days and whether you file correctly and on time.
What it is and how it differs from paro
The unemployment subsidy (subsidio por desempleo) is SEPE’s income-based unemployment support. Unlike the unemployment benefit based on contributions (paro), which depends on your contribution record, the subsidy is a flat payment for people who cannot access that benefit or have already used it up.
Since the 2024 reform (Real Decreto-ley 2/2024, in force from 1 November 2024) the subsidies were simplified and the amount now steps down over time. If you were looking for the old RAI after the reform, note that it is closed to new applicants — most people now fall under the subsidy or IMV routes instead.
Check whether you personally qualify
Tell NAVI your unemployment situation, income and previous paro status. It will check which subsidio route fits and move you to an action plan for applying to SEPE.
Who it is for
It is aimed at unemployed people registered as jobseekers who are below the income limit and who have either exhausted the unemployment benefit based on contributions (paro), not contributed enough to qualify for it, reached age 52 or older, or fall into another protected situation.
There are several subsidy types (exhausted benefit, insufficient contributions, over-52, and others). This guide covers the general rules; the over-52 and insufficient-contributions routes are covered separately.
NAVICheck if I qualify for the benefit and apply without mistakes
NAVI will check eligibility and documents.
Main requirements
What SEPE checks before granting the subsidy:
- Being registered as a jobseeker (demandante de empleo) and keeping the registration.
- Income (rentas) below 75% of the SMI — about €915.75/month in 2026.
- Not qualifying for, or having exhausted, the unemployment benefit based on contributions (paro).
- Family responsibilities are assessed by dividing the household income by its members.
- Accepting SEPE’s activity commitment: stay registered as a job seeker, attend required appointments or training, accept suitable offers and report changes.
How much and for how long
The amount is tied to the IPREM (€600 in 2026). Since the reform, many subsidies now step down over time:
95% of IPREM (≈ €570) for the first 180 days; 90% (≈ €540) from day 181 to 360; 80% (€480) from day 361. The duration depends on your contributions and family responsibilities — in some cases up to about 21 months.
Duration if you did not reach 360 contributed days (the insufficient-contributions subsidy — use this decision table): with 90–119 days → 3 months; 120–149 days → 4 months; 150–179 days → 5 months; 180+ days → 6 months. Without family responsibilities you need at least 180 days and get 6 months, full stop. With family responsibilities the 180-day case can be extended in stretches up to about 21 months.
Think before you take it: contribution days used for the subsidy are spent and no longer count towards a future unemployment benefit based on contributions (paro). If you are close to 360 days and expect to work again soon, compare taking the subsidy now against saving your cotizaciones for a full contributory benefit later.
Documents you need
- Valid DNI, NIE or passport.
- Proof of your situation (end of that benefit, certificado de empresa or equivalent).
- Income documentation for you and your household (for the rentas test).
- Family book or equivalent if you have dependents.
- A bank account (IBAN) in your name.
- To file online, you usually need a digital certificate; your empadronamiento (padrón) must also be in order.
Application deadlines
A real case: severance paid in instalments, and a SEPE refusal for “income”
A worker was dismissed, and the company paid his statutory severance not in one sum but monthly, in instalments over a long period, through an insurance policy. He applied to SEPE for the unemployment subsidy. SEPE refused: it counted the monthly severance instalments as income that put the worker above the threshold of 75% of the minimum wage (SMI). Its argument was that tax law classifies those sums that way. The case reached the Social Chamber of the Supreme Court. The court held that the subsidy is governed by a special rule of the LGSS: statutory severance for dismissal is not income, and the way it is paid, at once or in instalments, does not change that. It cannot be counted when checking the 75% SMI threshold. The right to the subsidy was recognised.
What was not obvious. SEPE’s refusal rested on a substitution: a tax-law rule was applied to a social benefit. Severance is not income for the subsidy, however it is paid; spreading it out does not turn it into “wages”. If a refusal cites “income above 75% of the SMI”, check exactly what was counted.
Outcome: SEPE’s refusal was overturned and the worker was granted the subsidy. The Supreme Court names no amounts: the dispute was about the principle, which now protects everyone whose severance is paid in instalments.
What has changed since (checked in the BOE on 24.09.2026). The rule the Supreme Court applied predates the reform: already in the 2016 and 2018 versions of the LGSS, the statutory severance payment on termination did not count as income “regardless of whether it is paid in a lump sum or periodically”. The 2024 reform of subsidies kept it and sharpened it: since 1 November 2024 it sits in art. 275.5.b LGSS, refers to the severance provided for in the Workers' Statute, and anything the parties agreed above the statutory amount counts as income. The threshold under art. 275.1 is 75% of the SMI excluding the two extra payments.
Spanish Supreme Court, Social Chamber · 03.10.2023 · № 694/2023 · ECLI:ES:TS:2023:3961
Above are the conditions of the subsidy and the income threshold. This case shows how SEPE treated severance pay as income, and why the Supreme Court disagreed.
Check your own situationCommon reasons for refusal or delay
- Income above the 75% SMI limit (yours or the household average).
- Not being, or not staying, registered as a jobseeker.
- Applying outside the deadline.
- Voluntary resignation (SEPE usually does not recognise it as involuntary job loss).
- Documents that do not match your work-life record.
Apply or appeal
If you have not applied yet, prepare the application carefully: confirm the income test, the right subsidy type and the deadline. If your real problem is low household income rather than unemployment, check the Ingreso Mínimo Vital (IMV) instead.
If SEPE has already refused you, the route is not to reapply but to challenge the decision — see appealing a denied benefit, and for the minimum-income benefit specifically, an IMV denial.
Related guides
Routes that often connect to the subsidy:
Check which benefits you can claim in Spain
If you are not sure whether paro, subsidio, the 52+ subsidy, IMV or another benefit fits you, answer NAVI’s questions. It will help identify the benefit that best fits your situation and show you what to do next.
Benefit denied and want to appeal?
If SEPE, the INSS or another authority has denied, suspended or reduced a benefit, you need to identify the reason for the decision, the applicable deadline and the evidence you need. Send us the decision: we will review it, check the applicable deadline and help determine what to do next.
Check the refusal for €9.90 →Frequently asked questions
How much is the unemployment subsidy in 2026?
It steps down: about €570 (95% of IPREM) for the first 180 days, €540 (90%) from day 181 to 360, and €480 (80%) from day 361. The IPREM in 2026 is €600. Figures as of June 2026.
What is the income limit for the subsidy?
Your income (rentas) must stay below 75% of the SMI — about €915.75/month in 2026. For family responsibilities, the household income is divided by the number of members.
What is the difference between paro and the subsidio?
the unemployment benefit based on contributions (paro) depends on your contribution record. The subsidio is SEPE’s income-based support: a flat payment for people who cannot access that benefit or have already used it up.
Can I still apply for RAI?
No — RAI after the reform is closed to new applicants since the 2024 reform. The subsidy or IMV is the current route.
How many months do I get with 90, 120, 150 or 180 days worked?
With family responsibilities: 90–119 days → 3 months, 120–149 → 4, 150–179 → 5, 180+ → 6 months, extendable in stretches up to about 21 months. Without family responsibilities you need at least 180 days and receive 6 months.
If I take the subsidy now, do I lose those days for a future paro?
Yes — contribution days consumed by the insufficient-contributions subsidy no longer count towards a future contributory benefit. Close to 360 days and likely to work again soon? Compare both routes before applying.
The subsidy was refused — what now?
Challenge the SEPE decision within the deadline; see appealing a denied benefit. Answer the exact reason and attach the right documents.
Sources (verified August 2026):
SEPE — unemployment subsidies
BOE — Real Decreto-ley 2/2024
State Public Employment Service (SEPE)
Figures and deadlines are stated according to SEPE/BOE information available in June 2026.
Want everyday protection in Spain from bureaucracy?
Included: checks of Spanish documents, letters, requests and contracts before signing, Action Plans, consultation and sending your claims by burofax.
Prefer to handle it yourself?
You can also use the official channels directly, often at no cost: Banco de España for bank complaints, DGSFP for insurance, OMIC or consumer services for consumer claims and Defensor del Pueblo for problems with public administration. Or go through the claim with RightNOW: we prepare the text, evidence and action path, then accompany the case through to the result.
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This guide is general information about Spanish law, not a legal opinion on your case. Rules change and outcomes depend on your own facts and documents — check your situation before you act on it.