Currently everyone is expectant with the pension system we have in Spain because the majority of citizens have doubts about whether the model will be sustainable over time or not. Hence, some economists, like Francisco Rodríguez, have come forward to express their opinion on this. But it is no longer just whether it is sustainable or not, but another aspect that is now being debated about pensions is whether or not they are sufficient due to inflation, since we are seeing some retirees who are even having to share a flat to be able to support themselves financially.
Still, these concerns about current pensions are somewhat insignificant for some older retirees who had to live with a much smaller pension and with many more expenses under their belt just a few decades ago. This is the case of Arrate Aranceta, a woman who became a widow at only 40 years old and had 4 dependent children whom she had to support with a sad pension of “a little more” than 400 euros.
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Social Security will deny the widow’s pension in marriages of less than one year if the death was due to a common illness and without children in common or proven previous cohabitation.
A woman receives a widow’s pension after Social Security denied it for marrying three months before her husband’s death.
In a recent interview with Antenna 3 This retiree explains how, upon becoming a widow so soon and with so many children, she had to face the expenses of a house with 4 children with such a small pension.
“Without contract and without quotation”
At that time, her youngest daughter was seven years old and the oldest was 19. “The four of them were studying,” explained the retiree, who is now 79 years old. The benefit he received consisted of “400 or 500 euros and with this he had to feed the four children and pay for their studies; that’s not what pensions are for,” Aranceta recalled.
According to the National Institute of Statistics, in 2025 the average cost of living in Spain is around 1,093 euros per month per person. However, 39 years ago, in 1986, when Aranceta was widowed, the minimum wage was around 241.25 euros per month and the average price per square meter of a new home was around 413 euros.
In that context, living on 400 or 500 euros might seem possible, since the cost of living was much lower, although supporting four children with that amount was extremely complicated.
Faced with this situation, Aranceta turned to any job that would allow her to survive: “We found jobs, cleaning the houses, the porches, taking care of children, the elderly… without a contract and without being able to contribute, always two hours in one place and two hours in another,” she said.
He also admitted that they came to the question of whether this could be considered “an underground economy, but no, it was not exactly that, it is an economy of survival to be able to make ends meet.”
The claim of widows: decent pensions
Cristina Gómez Díaz, widow and president of the Confederation of Federations and Associations of Widows Hispania, highlighted in statements to Antena 3 that it is essential that “the minimum pension is equal to the Minimum Interprofessional Wage and that its contribution to society is recognized.”
This is because widow’s pensions tend to decrease over time, leaving many women facing enormous difficulties in making ends meet. “Widows draw strength from where there is none when we see the need for work and we have children around us,” said Gómez Díaz.
In recent years, these pensions have increased by 6% in general and by 9.1% for those with family responsibilities, according to 2025 data. Even so, the minimum amounts remain modest: 662.50 euros per month for those under 60 years of age; 818 euros for those between 60 and 64 years old; and 874.40 euros for people aged 65 or with a disability equal to or greater than 65%.
With family responsibilities, the minimum amounts to 1,127.60 euros per month, while the maximum pension, adding other benefits, can reach 3,174 euros per month in 2025.
Despite the different requirements and conditions that influence the final amount, many widows (like Arrate Aranceta) continue to find this aid insufficient when it constitutes their only source of income.