Spain's Minimum Income Scheme Reaches Only a Third of Those in Need, EU Demands Data on Refund Claims

In the province of Vigo, the Ingreso Mínimo Vital (IMV) has benefited just 55,091 people out of the 164,360 residents who fall below the poverty or social exclusion threshold, meaning the scheme covers only about one‑third of the most vulnerable population. Of the 60,648 applications filed since the programme began, only 20,228 were approved, while 22,323 were denied, 10,880 were rejected for form errors, and 5,835 were withdrawn by claimants. The majority of approved benefits go to single‑person households, single‑parent families and two‑adult families with children.

At the European level, the Committee of Social Rights has again asked the Spanish government to disclose how many families have been ordered to repay IMV benefits since 2021. Thousands of households face repayment demands due to administrative errors, often leading to debt, interest charges and, in some cases, threats of home seizure. The committee may impose measures to halt these reclamations, but the government has not yet provided the requested figures.