Unemployment benefit in 2026: how much you can get

Tables with the official SEPE minimums, maximums and rates for the contributory benefit and the subsidy, updated for the 2026 SMI and IPREM.

How much can you get in 2026?

If you lose your job in Spain, you probably want one clear answer: how much money will you receive? The amount depends on your salary, your Social Security payments and whether you have children. SEPE also sets a minimum and a maximum.

Spain has two main types of unemployment support. The prestación contributiva is the normal benefit for people who have paid enough into Social Security. The subsidio por desempleo is a smaller payment for some people who cannot get the normal benefit, or whose normal benefit has ended.

The figures on this page are valid from 1 January to 31 December 2026. They use two official reference amounts. The SMI, Spain's minimum wage, is 1,221.00 euros a month. The IPREM, an income index used to calculate some benefits, is 600.00 euros a month.

Normal unemployment benefit

Your normal unemployment benefit is based on your previous salary. But it cannot be lower or higher than the official limits in this table.

If you have one dependent child, both your minimum and maximum can be higher. With two or more children, the maximum rises again.

These are monthly amounts. SEPE pays them 12 times a year. They are not paid 14 times like some Spanish salaries.

The unemployment subsidy

You may be able to get the subsidio por desempleo if your normal benefit has ended. You may also qualify if you have not paid enough into Social Security for the normal benefit. Some returning emigrants and victims of violence can also receive it.

The subsidy starts at a higher amount and then goes down over time.

If you are over 52, the amount is 480.00 euros a month for the whole time you receive the subsidy. You must continue to meet the rules.

For most subsidies, your household income must be below 915.75 euros a month. This is 75% of the SMI in 2026. For the agricultural subsidy and the renta agraria, the limit is 1,221.00 euros a month.

Can you work and still get some benefit?

In some cases, yes. If you start a job while receiving benefit or subsidy, you may keep part of the payment. In Spanish, this is called the complemento de apoyo al empleo, or CAE.

How much you get depends on your working hours and how long you have combined work with the benefit.

For the normal benefit, a person working full time can get 480.00 euros a month in months 10 to 15. This falls to 360.00 euros in months 16 to 18, 240.00 euros in months 19 to 21 and 180.00 euros in months 22 to 24.

The amounts are lower for part-time work. For example, if you work less than half of normal full-time hours, you can get 360.00 euros in the first stage. This falls to 90.00 euros in the last stage.

For the subsidy, the CAE works in a similar way, but SEPE calculates it by quarter. It starts at 480.00 euros for full-time work in the first quarter. From the fifth quarter, it is 120.00 euros.

What should you do next?

If this is your first claim, start with our guide to unemployment benefit in Spain. It explains the basic process and the Spanish terms you will see.

If your normal benefit is about to end, read our guide to the unemployment subsidy. For a closer look at how your salary and contributions affect the result, see how Spain calculates your unemployment benefit.

Applying for the benefit, subsidy or CAE is free. You can apply on the SEPE website. If you need help in person, you can book a cita previa, which means an appointment, at a SEPE office.