Spain lifts state advance for unpaid child support to €300 and ends 18-month cap

Spain’s Council of Ministers approved amendments to the Child Maintenance Guarantee Fund on October 20, permitting eligible families to receive state advances of up to €300 per month when a parent does not fulfill a court-ordered support order, up from the former €100 ceiling. The reform also abolishes the previous 18-month restriction, allowing payments to continue until the maintenance obligation ends, but no later than the child’s 18th birthday.

Applicants must satisfy income criteria and provide documentation that the maintenance order exists and remains unpaid. The measure aims to improve financial security for children affected by unpaid support after separation, divorce or other legal proceedings. These adjustments are part of a wider suite of social-protection reforms announced by the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration. The new provisions will take effect once the corresponding legal text is enacted.