The Spanish government has proposed allowing unmarried couples who have demonstrated a stable and notable five-year cohabitation to access the widow's pension. This measure, part of the 'Proposal for the Improvement of the Protective Action of Social Security,' aims to broaden the beneficiaries of this pension in light of advances in case law. Couples will be able to present a certificate of residence as proof of cohabitation, and those who have children in common will be able to reduce the length of cohabitation to two years. Furthermore, there is consideration that the measure may be applied retroactively to those who lost their partner before January 1, 2022.
In September, Social Security disbursed €2,197.3 million in widows' pensions, which accounted for 16% of the total allocated to contributory pensions. The average pension in this area is 936.3 euros per month, benefiting mainly women. According to the National Institute of Statistics, Spain counts nearly two million de facto couples, and more than 5.5 million households are formed by two people. Under the 2024 Family Law, rights for these unions have been expanded, including improved access to the widow's pension.
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