Making ends meet with children at home is a significant financial challenge for many families in the Canary Islands. To alleviate the cost of raising children, Social Security provides a key protection mechanism: the Child Support Complement. This direct financial benefit, which can amount to €1,380 annually per child, is intended to combat economic vulnerability in households with low to moderate incomes.
Although it is part of the Minimum Vital Income (IMV) system, there is widespread lack of awareness about this aid. It is important to note that meeting the strict extreme poverty requirements of the IMV is not necessary to receive it. The income and asset limits for this child supplement are considerably more flexible, allowing a broad range of working families with modest incomes to be eligible.
The amount of the aid varies according to the age of the children. Children under 3 years old receive €115 per month (€1,380 annually). For those between 3 and 6 years old, the benefit is €80.50 per month. Children between 6 and 18 years old receive €57.50 per month. These amounts are cumulative for each child in the household, meaning a household with two children of different ages could receive over €2,000 annually in support.
To access this benefit, regulated by Law 19/2021 on Minimum Vital Income, applicants must meet conditions such as having at least one minor child in the household, demonstrating legal and continuous residence in Spain for at least the year prior to application, and not exceeding certain income and asset limits. Maximum permitted income varies based on household size, potentially reaching up to €34,332 annually for a single-parent family with one child, or up to €58,101 for larger households. Assets, excluding the primary residence, must also not exceed specific thresholds ranging from €55,460 to €102,997.
A significant advantage of this complement is that its application period is open year-round. Applications are processed online through the Social Security's Electronic Office using the same form as the Minimum Vital Income. The administrative system automatically assesses the household data; if income exceeds the limit for the full IMV but falls within the child supplement's brackets, Social Security will automatically grant this complement for the minors.
