This Friday the so-called “podium” of unemployment benefit at minimum vital income (IMV) is launched. Recipients of unemployment benefits who exhaust this benefit without having found a job will be able, from November 22, to start receiving the minimum subsistence income thanks to this new procedure, which simplifies the procedures and aims to be a faster route for collecting the IMV.
The Ministry of Social Security explains that the operation of this new “gateway” can be summarized in four steps. In these, the Administration is proactive and the procedures that citizens must complete are reduced. These steps are as follows:
1) The SEPE consults
During the quarter preceding the exhaustion of unemployment benefit, the SEPE will inform the beneficiary of the possibility of transmitting their data and those of their family unit to Social Security, in order to process the benefit of the minimum subsistence income.
2) The unemployed person consents
“To do this, the beneficiary must give consent and, where applicable, sign a responsible declaration attesting that he has the consent of the members of his family unit,” indicates Social Security.
3) Sending data when grant runs out
If the agreement is authorized, the SEPE, “within ten days following the date of exhaustion of unemployment benefit”, will send it to the National Institute of Social Security (INSS), as an organization minimum subsistence income manager. (or to the competent bodies in the cases of Euskadi and Navarre), “the information necessary for their processing”, explains the ministry of Elma Saiz.
4) Payment “with effect” from the following month
In the event of recognition of the minimum subsistence income, the start date of the benefit “will be the date of exhaustion of the subsidy”, explains Social Security, “and the economic effects will occur on the first day of the month following the end of the grant.
In other words, “there will be no period of loss of income for recipients”, underlines the ministry. The person receiving the minimum subsistence income will, in all cases, be the beneficiary of unemployment benefit.
For cases where this more agile procedure cannot be used, or where citizens have not given their consent, interested parties can submit their request on the new INSS portal to request pensions and other benefits, “by postal mail or to the attention of social security and information centers (CAISS)”, reminds Social Security.
The Minister of Social Security, Elma Saiz, underlined the importance of this new measure as a decisive step to simplify access to the Minimum Vital Income (IMV) and guarantee “a fairer and more efficient system”. “With the launch of this portal, we are eliminating administrative barriers and enabling citizens in vulnerable situations to automatically receive the help they need, without cumbersome procedures or unnecessary delays.”
The free telephone number 020 now works
The ministry also recalls that “a few days ago the short telephone number 020 began operating, a specific service for attention and information on the minimum subsistence income”.
It is free, national in scope, and allows citizens to “request information on the benefit, receive advice on the use of electronic services, know the status of their file or find out about the supplement requirements child food, among other issues.” , explains the ministry.
From its first days of operation, Social Security states that “nearly 30% of calls for information on the IMV go through this new numbering”.
One of the main criticisms of the minimum living income, the minimum state income intended to reduce poverty, has from the start been excessive bureaucracy, the complexity of applying for help and the difficulty of even applying information about this. Social Security highlights this gateway and the 020 telephone number as one of the latest changes aimed at making IMV “more accessible”.
Also, for example, “for de facto couples, the obligation to prove a period of cohabitation of 5 years has been removed”. From now on “it is sufficient to provide for the registration or formalization of the de facto couple in a public document at least two years before the date of application for the benefit”, recalls the ministry.
“We continue to work so that this benefit reaches those who need it most, by strengthening our social protection system,” said Elma Saiz.
