- Of the total, 224,359 benefits corresponded to the first parent, usually the mother, and 249,361 to the second
- Social Security dedicated 3,260.2 million euros to these benefits last year
- The number of family care leave amounts to 47,455, 70.2% of which were women
Friday, January 27, 2023.- Social Security processed 473,720 benefits for birth and child care in 2022, an increase of 0.4% over the same period of 2021. Of the total, 224,359 corresponded to the first parent, usually the mother, and 249,361, to the second parent, usually the father.
The expenditure associated with this benefit between January and December 2022 was 3.260.2 millions of euros. In 2021, this figure stood at 3,010.6 million, an increase of 8.3%.
The birth and child care benefit replaced the old benefits of maternity and paternity when it came into force on January 1, 2021 and has meant the complete equalization of both. Currently, the leave is 16 weeks for both parents and is recognized as an individual and non-transferable right. Of the 16 weeks, six of them must be enjoyed immediately after childbirth or judicial or administrative resolution in cases of adoption, custody or placement. The rest of the time can be arranged in successive periods, of at least one week in duration.
The amount of these benefits is equivalent to the contribution base of the month prior to delivery, adoption, care or fostering, and is paid directly by the National Social Security Institute (INSS) during the weeks of the leave.
By autonomous communities, the highest number of benefits for birth and child care has been recognized in Andalusia (86.106), Catalonia (84.287), Madrid (78.134) and the Valencian Community (48.372). The National Social Security Institute offers the possibility to apply for the birth benefit telematically, through the portal Tu
Social Security (https://sede.seg-social.gob.es) https://sede-tu.segsocial.gob.es/ and through the form on https://tramites.segsocial.es/acceso/prestacion-nacimiento-cuidado-menor.html
Successive rest periods may also be requested electronically for the birth or care of the child, if the parents choose to divide the period.
Child, Foster or Family Child Care Leave
On the other hand, the number of surpluses registered in 2022 was 47,455, of which 33,290 corresponded to women, 70.2%, and 14,165 to men, which is equivalent to 29.8%.
The number of surpluses has been reduced on average by 1% compared to the same period of the 2021 financial year.
Madrid (9,822), Catalonia (7,322), Andalusia (5,279), the Valencian Community (4,866) and the Basque Country (4,752) and the Valencian Community (4,866) are the autonomous communities with the most processed surpluses.
The communities where the number of surpluses has increased the most compared to the previous year are the Canary Islands (9.7%), the Valencian Community (7.1%), Asturias (5.3%) and the two autonomous cities (Melilla, 41.7% and Ceuta, 7.41%). On the contrary, the main decreases were in the Basque Country (-15.3%), Galicia (-9.4%) and Cantabria (-7.1%).
Workers may apply for leave to care for children or minors who have been taken in or for the care of other family members. The first three years of leave to care for a foster child are considered an effective contributory period for the purposes of Social Security benefits for retirement, permanent disability, death and survival, maternity and paternity. The first year of leave to care for other family members is also considered to be actually paid for the purposes of these benefits.