The government delegate in Galicia, Pedro Blanco, visited this Monday, accompanied by the subdelegate of the Government in A Coruña, María Rivas, the Social Security offices in Santiago de Compostela, where he reported the latest improvements introduced in the benefits that facilitate conciliation for the care of children and relatives and from which about 23,000 Galicians and Galicians benefit.
In particular, the delegate indicated that last year Galicia was the fifth territory that managed the most maternity and paternity benefits, a total of 21,118 (10,369 for the first parent, usually the mother, and 10,749 for the second parent, usually the father) that are received by the contributors and that they charge approximately 3 out of 4 births.
These benefits represented a disbursement for Social Security in Galicia of 145 million euros, five more than the previous year (+3.28%). In the province of A Coruña, a total of 8,933 benefits were processed, representing an expense of 64.2 million euros.
The delegate recalled that Spain was the first country to equate paternity leave with maternity leave, which are today in the 16 weeks, of which the first six must be compulsorily taken after childbirth or #judicial or administrative resolution in cases of adoption, guard or foster care.
Family Care Leave and Leave
This benefit is combined with other tools available to working people to care for minor children or family members. This is the case of surpluses for the care of a dependent family member, which allow men and women to suspend their contract of employment without losing the position for a maximum of two years (may be more second agreement) to care for a family member up to the second degree who is in a situation of dependency due to age, accident, illness or disability, and is not employed in a remunerated manner.
Galicia was the community where these requests increased the most in 2023, going from 1,212 in 2022 to 1,607 last year, an increase of 32.59% that contrasts with the increase of 15.47% on average in the country as a whole. In addition, in June last year the Government extended this modality to include domestic partners and the care of consanguineous dependents of these couples.
The delegate also highlighted the fact that 19% of the applicants (308) are men, a percentage 3 points above the national average and only exceeded by the Canary Islands (27%).
This measure, which favours conciliation and the division of care tasks between men and women, also adds to the parental leave for unpaid care approved last June and which allows for eight weeks per child (uninterrupted or discontinuous) until the child reaches eight years of age and which the Government is considering making remunerated at least in the first four weeks.