Pensioners whose contributory retirement pension does not reach the minimum amount set annually should know that Social Security will pay them the minimum supplement to reach that figure, as long as they meet certain requirements. This aid is included in article 59 of the General Social Security Law (can be consulted in this BOE).
To understand it, you must first know that the public pension system is so dynamic and flexible that it seeks to guarantee all pensioners a decent pension. In this sense, the current method of calculating pensions (which will change to a dual system in 2026, according to Royal Decree-Law 2/2023) establishes that the retirement pension is determined based on the contribution bases of the last 25 years of contributions, which determines the regulatory base (also known as 100% of the pension) and the total.
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The problem comes when there are workers with few years of contributions or whose contribution base is low, which causes the percentage of the pension to be reduced and therefore, the pension to be lower than the minimum pension. That is where the minimum complement is.
How the minimum plugin works
The minimum supplement works as a welfare aid (more or less with the Minimum Living Income), that is, it is an income that complements the pension until the minimum amount is reached. As it is a “welfare aid”, not everyone can access it, only those who meet certain requirements.
The requirements are to have legal residence in Spain and have income below the amount established by the General State Budgets. In 2025, this limit is set at 9,193 euros for pensioners without a dependent spouse and at 10,723 euros for those with a dependent spouse.
Thus, a pensioner whose pension is less than the minimum and whose other income does not exceed these thresholds, will receive the difference until the minimum amount is reached. This plugin is not permanent, as it is reviewed annually. If you expect to exceed the income limit in a year, it is mandatory to notify Social Security.
A real example
To understand it, let’s give an example. Let’s imagine a pensioner, Luisa, who after calculating her contributory pension based on her years worked and her salaries, Social Security determines that she is entitled to 750 euros per month. However, the minimum pension for your situation (without a dependent spouse) is set that year at 1,127.6 euros per month. Since her pension of 750 euros is less than the minimum, Luisa can request the minimum supplement to avoid being left with that low amount.
To grant it, Social Security checks two things. First, Luisa resides in Spain. Second, check if you have other income. Luisa has a small rented garage space that generates 1,200 euros per year. As this figure is below the income limit for 2025 (9,193 euros per year), it also meets this requirement. Therefore, Social Security approves the supplement, which will be the difference between the minimum pension and yours: 980 euros – 750 euros = 230 euros. Each month, Luisa will collect her 750 euros pension plus 230 euros in addition, receiving a total of 980 euros.
To take into account
It is important to know that if you exceed the income level, you must inform Social Security, since if you do not do so, they could force us to return the amounts improperly collected.