Unemployment, unemployment benefit, family help. It is becoming more and more common for these terms to be on someone's lips as soon as they lose their job, since sometimes finding another is quite difficult to find. But, many times, the two terms are the best known; not so the third.
If you want to know what is family help, What requirements must be met to request it, how to do it and what it implies, then we will talk about all this so that you understand it perfectly.
What is family help
In general terms, "family assistance" is a payment of about 451,92 euros per month that is offered to the unemployed who have family responsibilities and who, because they do not have a job, and also have exhausted the benefit due to unemployment, or they cannot collect it, they cannot meet the expenses they have.
However, something that very few know is that, for family help, there are actually two types of subsidies, which are also different from each other.
- Familiar help. Regarding a subsidy that is collected after the unemployment benefit has been exhausted. However, they do not give it to everyone, but there must be a lack of income in addition to the existence of family responsibilities.
- Familiar help. It is also a subsidy but, unlike the previous one, it is charged when unemployment benefit cannot be accessed. Now, for it to be approved, you must have at least 90 days of contributions, in addition to family charges.
As you can see, both are the same, but the requirements themselves are totally different.
Is family support charged forever?
No, family support has an "expiration date." The first cause that can cause this aid to be withdrawn is because an employment contract is signed with the worker. By failing to meet one of the requirements, which is to lack income, the aid would automatically be canceled. Now, that does not mean that it cannot be resumed, however, everything will depend on each specific case.
Generally, the aid is charged only for 18 months. This is renewed from six to six months. But there are cases in which it lasts longer. For example:
- Unemployed under 45 with exhausted unemployment benefit (but having received it for at least 6 months). They will be entitled to 24 months of family assistance.
- Unemployed people over 45 years of age with exhausted unemployment benefit (but having received it for at least 4 months). 24 months of help.
- Unemployed people over 45 years of age with exhausted unemployment benefit (but having received it for at least 6 months). They can increase the duration up to a maximum of 30 months.
How to apply for family assistance for unemployment exhaustion
If you have run out of unemployment and you still cannot find a job, you can apply for family assistance for exhaustion of unemployment benefit. Now, you must meet a series of requirements that are:
- Have completed the strike.
- Remain unemployed and registered as a job seeker.
- Wait a month. It is called the "waiting month", between when unemployment is exhausted and family assistance is requested, to see if you can find a job.
- Having family charges. By family dependents it is understood that they are children under 26 years of age, but also the spouse (if this depends economically on one) or disabled children.
- Not having income higher than 75% of the minimum interprofessional salary.
If you meet the requirements, you must apply for family assistance in 15 business days after completing the waiting month. To do this, you must go to the SEPE (or do it online) and wait for them to respond. You must have the DNI at hand, both yours and the family book and the ID of the spouse; a bank document where the account number appears; and proof of income.
How to apply for help if you do not have the right to unemployment
There are many people who, when an employment contract ends, do not have the right to unemployment, because they do not have 360 days of contributions. When that happens, and the rest of the requirements that we have mentioned before are met (family dependents, not having more than 75% of the SMI of income and being unemployed), you can request family assistance.
Now, the times to collect it are very different.
- If you have only contributed 3-4-5 months, and have family dependents, you will collect the subsidy only for 3-4-5 months, no more.
- If you have contributed more than 6 but less than 12 months, then the subsidy will be 6 months if you do not have family dependents, or 21 if you do.
As long as you contribute for more than 12 months, you can request unemployment benefit.
Why am I not charging 451 euros?
Despite the fact that, as we have been telling you, family assistance is 451 euros, there are many cases in which people are not charging that, and they charge 60 euros, 120, 225 euros ... Why does that happen?
Indeed, It is not that they were wrong in the SEPE, but that there is a "small print" of which no one informs you, and it is what makes your help so small despite having family charges.
What happens is that, from 2021, to calculate family assistance, the last contract you signed is taken into account. If it is a part-time or hourly contract, then the State does not pay 100%, as it had been doing before, but instead makes a proportion according to the hours worked.
If you work half the working day, you get half the allowance. If you work fewer hours, you get less help. As simple as that. Before, all aid was paid if all the conditions were met; regardless of what your last contract was.
Even so, if you think it may have been a mistake, it is best to make a face-to-face appointment at a SEPE office and present your case. Because they too can make mistakes sometimes.
Is family help clearer to you? Do you have any doubts? Tell us and we will try to help you solve it. Another option you can take is to seek advice since, in that way, you can present your particular case and obtain a more appropriate solution.