The State Public Employment Service (SEPE) rejects the subsidy for those over 52 years of age to the majority of self-employed workers, even those with long working careers. The reason is that, as article 280 of the General Social Security Law points out, it is necessary to have a minimum of six years of contributions for unemployment contingency.
This is the reason why the subsidy is denied for those over 52 years of age, since contributing to Social Security is not the same as paying for unemployment. The SEPE explains on his website that contributes to unemployment for paid employment in the General Regime, Special Agrarian System, Maritime Regime and training contracts, among others.
In this way, a worker who has worked throughout his working life only as a self-employed person will not be able to access this subsidy for unemployed people over 52 years of age. The General Social Security Law explains that the protective action of the self-employed regime excludes unemployment protection, since these professionals have their own specific “cessation of activity” system.
That is why the SEPE routinely rejects it. This is explained by María José Gómez, advisor to the organization’s Benefits subdirectorate, that in the program “Madrid Works” from Onda Madrid, who responds to a listener who had been registered as self-employed for 30 years, saying that by not having paid unemployment benefits, he will be denied the subsidy, something that condemns many self-employed professionals.
Requirements to be approved for the subsidy for those over 52 years of age
The subsidy for people over 52 years of age is one of the most beneficial benefits of the SEPE despite its amount, which is always fixed and is equivalent to 80% of the IPREM (480 euros per month), since it is the only one that is collected until reaching the ordinary retirement age. Furthermore, during all that time, the managing entity contributes for you towards the pension, exactly 125% of the current minimum contribution base.
Now, to access it it is necessary to meet certain conditions, such as having paid contributions for those six years for unemployment as stated in article 280 of the General Social Security Law. In addition, you must meet all the requirements, except age, to access a contributory retirement pension, which according to article 205 of the same rule, means having a minimum of 15 years of contributions to Social Security. In addition, of the total number of years, at least two must be included within the 15 years immediately preceding the moment the right accrued (the moment at which the pension is requested).
Finally, it is a subsidy, that is, assistance that seeks to guarantee an income to those who do not have it. That is why it is necessary to demonstrate economic vulnerability and not exceed 75% of the interprofessional minimum wage in own income, which with the latest increase in the SMI is 915.75 euros.