The Spanish unemployment subsidy: help when benefits run out

Which subsidy fits your situation

The unemployment subsidy (subsidio por desempleo) is SEPE's assistance-level benefit for people whose regular unemployment benefit has run out, or who haven't contributed enough to get one. The benefit depends on what you contributed; the subsidy depends on your personal situation and income. For the full picture, read our main guide to unemployment benefits in Spain.

• Benefit exhausted. You've used up your regular benefit and stay under the income limit. If you're under 45 with no family responsibilities, you only qualify if the benefit you exhausted lasted 360 days or more.
• Insufficient contributions. You became unemployed after contributing between 90 and 359 days, so you don't reach the 360 days the regular benefit requires.
• Over 52s. You're 52 or older, have at least six years of unemployment contributions in Spain, and meet all the requirements for the contributory retirement pension except age (at least 15 years of contributions, 2 of them within the last 15). It lasts until retirement age.
• Returning Spanish emigrants. Only for Spanish citizens who return after working at least 12 months in the last six years in a country outside the EEA, or one with no unemployment agreement with Spain. If you're not a Spanish citizen, this route doesn't apply to you.
• Victims of gender-based or sexual violence. You had to leave your job for this reason.

Farm workers in Andalusia and Extremadura have their own scheme (subsidio agrario): see the official subsidy page.

How much you get: 2026 amounts

The subsidy is a percentage of the IPREM, a government reference index used for public benefits (600 euros per month in 2026). The amount drops over time; only the over-52 subsidy stays fixed. To compare with the regular benefit, see how much unemployment benefit you'd get.

The amounts are published in the official SEPE table of yearly amounts. The subsidy is paid monthly, between the 10th and the 15th of the following month.

How long the subsidy lasts

If you exhausted your regular benefit, the maximum duration depends on your age when it ran out, on family responsibilities, and on how long the exhausted benefit lasted:

The insufficient-contributions subsidy has its own scale: 90 days of contributions give you 3 months, 120 days give 4, 150 days give 5 and 180 days give 6 months. With family responsibilities and at least 180 days contributed, it can last up to 21 months.

The extension (prórroga) is not automatic: request it each quarter, with your income declaration, within 15 working days after the quarter ends. Request it late and you lose the days in between; after six months it's denied.

If you access the subsidy without proving family responsibilities, you have 12 months from the qualifying event to prove them and request the longer duration.

How SEPE checks your income

You need to meet one of two routes. Route one is the income test: your own gross income stays below 75 percent of the minimum wage (SMI) excluding extra payments, 915.75 euros per month in 2026; only your individual income counts. Route two is family responsibilities: the total income of your family unit, divided by the number of members, stays below that same limit per person.

You declare this in a sworn statement (declaración responsable) covering the calendar month before your application. One exception: if you're under 45 and the benefit you exhausted lasted less than 360 days, family responsibilities are mandatory.

If you meet neither route on the day you become eligible, you have six months from that date to start meeting one and apply.

You can work and keep the subsidy: the CAE

Since the 2024 reform, starting a job part-time or full-time doesn't end the subsidy: you receive it as an employment support supplement (complemento de apoyo al empleo, CAE). The same applies if you access the subsidy while already working part-time.

SEPE grants the CAE automatically: you don't apply for it, you can't opt out, and the subsidy isn't suspended because you work. The amount depends on your working hours and on the quarter of the subsidy you're in. It lasts at most 180 days, which count as used days of your subsidy.

In a few exceptional cases the CAE doesn't apply, for example if the company that employed you just before the subsidy hires you again: report that to SEPE. Wages earned during the CAE don't count towards the income limit at later renewals. Full details are on the official CAE page.

An example with real numbers

You're 47, you have family responsibilities and you've just exhausted a 24-month contributory benefit. You qualify for the exhaustion subsidy for 30 months: 570 euros per month for the first 180 days, 540 euros from day 181 to 360, and 480 euros from day 361.

How to apply step by step

1. Register as a job seeker. You need an active demanda de empleo (job seeker registration) with your regional employment service. See how to register as unemployed in Spain.
2. Check which subsidy fits you. Look at your age, your contributed days and your family situation.
3. Gather your documents. Use the checklist below.
4. Submit the application. Online at sede.sepe.gob.es with a digital certificate, Cl@ve or DNIe, or in person at a SEPE office with a cita previa (appointment). Applying is free.
5. Sign the activity agreement and stay registered. The agreement is required for approval. Keep your demanda de empleo active and request the extension every quarter.

Documents you'll need

This is SEPE's official document list for the subsidy:

• The official application form, which includes the income declaration for the previous calendar month
• Your ID: passport plus your EU registration certificate (with your NIE) if you're an EU citizen, or your TIE card if you're not
• A bank document showing the account number where you want to be paid; you must be the account holder
• Family book (libro de familia) or civil registry certificates if you claim family responsibilities; foreign documents need an official Spanish translation
• Your income tax return (IRPF) for the last tax year

The company certificate (certificado de empresa) isn't on the list: your employer sends it to SEPE electronically.

Common problems and how to fix them

You don't know which subsidy to request

Check your age and contributed days first. If you're 52 or over with six years of unemployment contributions in Spain, the over-52 subsidy is usually the best option. If in doubt, ask at your SEPE office before applying.

Your application is rejected for exceeding the income limit

The 75 percent SMI limit applies to your individual income in the previous calendar month. If you're over it but have family responsibilities, the per-person family test can still qualify you.

You started working and fear losing the subsidy

In most cases SEPE grants the CAE automatically and you keep both. You only need to act if your contract falls under an exceptional case, for example rejoining your previous employer: report that to SEPE.

You missed the quarterly extension

Request it anyway: within six months after the quarter ends it's still possible, but you lose the days in between. Set a reminder for each quarter.

You didn't prove family responsibilities when applying

You have 12 months from the qualifying event to submit the documents and request the longer duration.