SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE/MADRID, 7th May. (EUROPA PRESS) –
During April, the Minimum Living Income was distributed to a total of 28,227 households in the Canary Islands, where 66,775 individuals reside, receiving an average benefit of €490.02. This brings the total cost to €16.6 million, according to the latest statistics released by the National Social Security Institute (INSS).
Nationally, the number of active Minimum Living Income (IMV) beneficiaries has increased by 22 percent over the past year, reaching 589,948 households accommodating 1,771,480 people.
The Government has introduced a toll-free number, 020, for public inquiries aimed at providing information to potential beneficiaries in a more accessible manner, thus extending the coverage of the benefit to a more vulnerable population.
The average benefit amount per household stands at €492.4, with a total payroll reaching almost €348 million.
In April, there were 130,597 more active benefits compared to the previous year. Additionally, there are 445,037 more beneficiaries residing in these households than in April 2023, representing a 33.5% increase.
Since its inception in June 2020, amid the pandemic, the Minimum Living Income has reached 811,914 households, providing support to 2,401,829 individuals within them.
More than a million of these individuals are minors, accounting for 43.5% of the total beneficiaries.
Social Security has allocated €10.35 billion towards IMV benefit payments since its launch, aimed at mitigating the risk of poverty and social exclusion for individuals living alone or in cohabitation units lacking basic economic resources. Furthermore, one of its primary goals is to combat child poverty, as emphasized by the ministry headed by Elma Saiz.
Of the households receiving the IMV in April, 67.4% consist of minors (397,439 households), including 103,420 single-parent households. In terms of IMV beneficiaries, 41.2% are minors, totaling 730,131, with 202,427 being children under the age of 5.
Emphasizing child protection, the ministry has introduced the IMV children’s aid supplement, reaching 401,036 households this month.
The supplement amounts to €115 per household per month for children aged 0 to 3; €80.5 per month for each child between 3 and 6, and €57.5 monthly for children aged 6 to 18. This supplement has equal significance to the IMV, as a part of it, with an average amount of €67.3 this month.
In April, 66.8% of the recipients and 53.5% of the beneficiaries were females. Furthermore, 82.4% of all recipients hold Spanish nationality, with an average age of 45 years.
Saiz has hailed the initiation of the public inquiry process via the telephone line 020 as a “significant development,” forming part of the Comprehensive Accessibility Plan for the IMV.
