Paro (the contributory benefit) runs out or does not apply, but that is not always the end of the help. The subsidio por desempleo (unemployment subsidy) is for people who have used up the benefit or lack the minimum contributions, and it has a condition the benefit does not: what you earn, or what your family earns. Here are the two ways in, the duration in a table, the amounts and how to check whether you meet the income limit. The reference provisions are articles 274 to 279 of the Ley General de la Seguridad Social (General Social Security Act).
There are two ways to qualify for the subsidy
Article 274.1 distinguishes two situations:
- Having used up your paro. If you are under 45 and have no family responsibilities, the benefit you exhausted must have lasted at least 360 days.
- Not reaching the minimum contributions for paro, but having paid in at least 90 days and being in a legal situation of unemployment.
Article 274.2 also requires that on the application date you have no right to the contributory benefit and no incompatibility, and that you either lack income of your own or prove family responsibilities. Article 274.4 adds registration as a job seeker and signing the activity agreement. Part-time contracts do not block access, as long as the sum of the working hours is less than one full-time job.
Duration: it depends on how you qualify and on your dependants
If you have used up your paro (art. 277.1):
| Age when paro ran out | Family responsibilities | Paro used up | Maximum subsidy duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 45 | No | 360 days or more | 6 months |
| 45 or over | No | 120 days or more | 6 months |
| Any age | Yes | 120 days or more | 24 months |
| Any age | Yes | 180 days or more | 30 months |
If you did not reach the minimum for paro (art. 277.2):
| Contributions shown | Family responsibilities | Maximum duration |
|---|---|---|
| 90 days | Not relevant | 3 months |
| 120 days | Not relevant | 4 months |
| 150 days | Not relevant | 5 months |
| 180 days | No | 6 months |
| 180 days | Yes | 21 months |
The contributions that gave rise to this subsidy cannot be used later for a new paro or subsidy. And if you got in without proving family responsibilities, you can prove them and ask for an extension within twelve months of the triggering event.
How much you get: percentages of the IPREM
Article 278 sets the amount as a percentage of the monthly IPREM (the public benchmark index used to set many benefits): 95 % for the first 180 days, 90 % from day 181 to 360 and 80 % from day 361. With the IPREM at €600 a month:
| Stage | Percentage | Monthly amount |
|---|---|---|
| Days 1 to 180 | 95 % | €570 |
| Days 181 to 360 | 90 % | €540 |
| From day 361 | 80 % | €480 |
These are gross figures. To compare with paro, see how much unemployment benefit you get by salary.
The income limit: €915.75 a month per person
The no-income test is met when income of any kind in the calendar month before the application does not exceed 75 % of the minimum wage (SMI), excluding the share of two extra payments (art. 275.1). Royal Decree 126/2026 sets the 2026 minimum wage at €1,221 a month, so 75 % is €915.75.
If you apply with family responsibilities, the sum changes (art. 275.2): the previous month’s income of the whole household, including you, is added up and divided by the number of members. That result cannot exceed €915.75 either. The household (art. 275.3) is you, your spouse or registered partner and your children under 26 (or older with a disability) who live with you or depend on you.
Countable income includes earnings from work, capital, business activity, benefits and maintenance or compensatory payments, among others (art. 275.4). Statutory dismissal severance does not count (art. 275.5.b), but any agreed excess does. You sign a sworn statement listing all income for the previous month, which is later checked against your tax data. Hiding income means paying back what you received.
Two examples with figures
Ana, with dependants. She is 47, has two children aged 10 and 12 and has used up a 360-day paro. The household is 3 people and last month’s income was €1,900 in total (temporary work plus maintenance). 1,900 / 3 = €633.33, below €915.75.
- She qualifies under art. 274.1.a with dependants and a 360-day paro: 30 months.
- 6 months at €570 = €3,420; 6 months at €540 = €3,240; 18 months at €480 = €8,640.
- Total: €15,300 gross over 30 months.
Pablo, below the minimum. He is 38, with no dependants, and has paid in for 150 days. He has no right to paro. He qualifies under art. 274.1.b with 150 days: 5 months.
- 5 months at €570 = €2,850 gross, provided his income in the previous month did not exceed €915.75.
Deadlines: apply within 15 working days and renew every quarter
The subsidy starts the day after the triggering event if you apply within 15 working days. If you apply late but within six months, it starts on the application date (art. 276.1). After six months it is refused, unless on that date you were working or on sick leave or birth-and-childcare leave.
It is granted in three-month periods (art. 277.3). At the end of each quarter you have 15 working days to ask for the extension with documents showing you still meet the requirements (art. 276.2). If you are late, the right resumes from the date you apply, provided it is within six months. Each extension request checks your income again.
Why your case may be different
- Your income in the previous month decides at the time you apply. A month with one high payment can rule you out that time; you can apply again when you meet the limit, within the deadlines.
- Part-time contracts have their own contribution rules in a regulation this page does not cover.
- If you are over 52, there is a specific subsidy with different requirements: see the subsidy for over-52s.
- If you worked after the triggering event, ending that last job must have been involuntary or a legal situation of unemployment.
To check first whether you qualify for paro, start with am I entitled to unemployment benefit, and for renewals see how to renew unemployment benefit.
This page is general information. The SEPE (Servicio Público de Empleo Estatal, Spain’s public employment service) recognises the right case by case; if deadlines or money are at stake, speak to an employment lawyer (abogado laboralista) or a union.