Spain dependency system records death every 16 minutes

Data from the State Dependency Observatory show that 13,503 applicants died while waiting for assessment or benefits in the first five months of 2025, equating to a fatality roughly every 16 minutes. The waiting list rose by 7,293 to a total of 265,503 people, with 110,108 (41.5%) awaiting assessment and 155,352 (58.2%) pending already‑recognised benefits. Critics say the Ministry of Social Rights only counts people who exceed the legal 180‑day deadline as "on the waiting list," a practice they label "triumphalist" and allege lacks transparency. The professional association blames the slowdown on the end of the "shock plan," which provided €600 million annually in 2021‑2023, arguing that funding cuts have intensified a "low‑cost" system that struggles to meet the needs of dependent persons. Over two decades the system has served four million people, but nearly one million have died while on the list, highlighting persistent financing and territorial inequality issues.