Spain's Minimum Living Income 2026: average amount and who can claim it

The Minimum Living Income, in a nutshell

The Minimum Living Income (IMV) is the Spanish Social Security benefit that guarantees a minimum income to people and families who cannot cover their basic needs. It is a safety net against poverty, and especially against child poverty.

TL;DR: the average amount is around €507 a month per household. It reaches more than 860,000 households (over 2.6 million people), 41% of them minors. You apply free online with Cl@ve or a digital certificate.

How much you get on average

The average payment is around €507 a month per household. It is not a fixed figure: the amount depends on the number of members of the household, the income already received (the IMV tops it up to the guaranteed income) and whether there are dependent children (the Child Support Supplement is added).

The exact guaranteed-income figure is updated every year, so check your specific case in the official INSS simulator before applying.

Who it reaches

The IMV covers more than 860,000 households with over 2.6 million people:

• 41% of beneficiaries are children and teenagers.
• Around 70% of covered households live with minors.
• Many are single-parent households, mostly headed by women.

That is why one of its main goals is to fight child poverty.

The Child Support Supplement

Within the IMV there is an extra payment for each dependent child: the Child Support Supplement. Its amounts are revalued every year and depend on the child's age (age bands 0–3, 3–6 and 6–18).

Key point: this supplement has wider income thresholds than the general IMV, so it also reaches working families on low or moderate incomes. Check the current amounts and your threshold in the official simulator.

Who can apply

It is aimed at people who live alone or form a household unit and lack resources for their basic needs. In general you must:

1. Have legal and effective residence in Spain for the past year (with exceptions), proven with the town-hall registration certificate (empadronamiento).
2. Be in a situation of economic vulnerability (net wealth, non-corporate assets and income are assessed).
3. Have a household unit formed for at least six months.

The IMV is compatible with employment income and includes incentives to encourage returning to work.

How to apply, step by step

1. Check your eligibility in the official IMV simulator.
2. Gather documents: ID (DNI/NIE) for every household member, family book or equivalent, and a bank account in your name.
3. Log in to the Social Security e-office with Cl@ve or a digital certificate, or book an in-person appointment at a CAISS office.
4. Fill in the application, ticking whether you have dependent children (the supplement is granted within the same application).
5. Submit and save the receipt. The INSS verifies your registration and income electronically.

We do it for you

At GovEasy we check for free whether you fit the IMV threshold based on your household and income, prepare your application and guide you through submitting it with Cl@ve. You just answer a few questions; we handle the paperwork.

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Guidance based on Law 19/2021 on the Minimum Living Income. Coverage figures and the average amount are updated periodically; the income threshold is revalued each year, so confirm it in the official INSS simulator before applying.