Families with minor children may access aid of up to 115 euros per month for each child, even when their income exceeds the limits established to receive the minimum vital income (IMV). This is the Complemento de Ayuda para la Infancia (CAPI), a benefit managed by Social Security that seeks to reduce child poverty and provide financial support to households with dependents.
Although this supplement forms part of the minimum vital income, it is not necessary to be an IMV beneficiary to receive it. The regulations provide for broader income and assets limits, which allows families who work and receive salaries higher than those required to obtain the main aid to access the benefit.
In 2026, the amounts remain at 115 euros per month for children under three years old, 80.50 euros for children from three to five years old, and 57.50 euros for those aged six to 17 years. The money is paid monthly and the total amount depends on the number of minors that make up the unit of cohabitation and their ages.
However, it is not universal aid for having children. To access it, it is necessary to meet certain economic, residency, and family composition requirements. In addition, although it can be paid without the IMV, it must be requested through the same procedure enabled for this benefit.
The amounts correspond to each minor, so families with several children can accumulate different amounts. For example, a household with a two-year-old baby and another five-year-old child could receive 195.50 euros per month, equivalent to 2,346 euros over a full year, as long as it maintains the right to the benefit.
Social Security specifies that the age used to determine the age bracket is the one the minor had on January 1 of the corresponding year. Therefore, a child who turns three during 2026 does not automatically start receiving 80.50 euros in the month of their birthday if on January 1 they were still two years old.
The amounts are fixed per minor and do not decrease progressively depending on salary. However, exceeding the established economic limits may prevent recognition of the supplement or cause it to be lost.
Who can apply for the 115 euros per child without receiving the minimum vital income
One of the most important aspects of the Complemento de Ayuda para la Infancia is that its economic requirements are different from those required to receive ordinary IMV.
In general, in order to access exclusively the CAPI, the income of the unit of coexistence must be below the 300% of the guaranteed rent that would correspond to the household under the minimum vital income. The limits on wealth and assets established by the regulations must also be respected.
This allows families with income from work to receive the supplement, provided they do not exceed the corresponding thresholds for their family composition.
For example, a couple with two children may be entitled to the CAPI with income higher than those that would allow them to receive the IMV, since the applicable economic limit for the supplement is considerably higher.
To apply for it, in addition to meeting the economic requirements, the unit of coexistence must include at least one minor and meet the general access conditions established by Social Security, especially those relating to legal and effective residence in Spain.
The rule requires, in general, having resided legally and effectively in Spain for at least one year before submitting the application, although it includes exceptions for certain situations, such as minors added to the household by birth or adoption.
These amounts are reference thresholds for countable income from the household as a whole, not necessarily equivalent to the monthly net salary shown on the pay slip. To determine eligibility, the income computation rules of Social Security are taken into account and, in general, the economic information from the previous year.
For example, a family made up of two adults and two minors, with countable income equivalent to 3,000 euros per month, would be below the income threshold set to apply only for the supplement. However, this does not guarantee that it will be granted, because the requirements relating to wealth and personal circumstances must also be met.
Precisely, one of the most common mistakes is thinking that the CAPI is only intended for families without employment or that receive the minimum vital income. The existence of employment income does not automatically exclude the right to receive this benefit.
How much wealth can you have to access the supplement
In addition to income, Social Security reviews the net worth of the entire unit of coexistence. The usual home is excluded from this calculation, but other assets, properties, savings, and investments may be counted in accordance with the established rules.
The net worth limits for 2026 also depend on the composition of the household. For example, a family made up of one adult and one minor cannot exceed 55,460 euros of computable net worth, while for two adults and two minors the limit rises to 87,152 euros.
In the case of one adult and two minors, the threshold is set at 71,306 euros. For larger households, it can reach 102,997 euros.
The regulations also include, a test of assets independent of the net worth limit, so meeting one of the economic requirements does not necessarily mean exceeding all checks.
These conditions explain why two families with similar income can receive different responses to their applications: Social Security analyzes the entirety of their economic and family situation.
How to apply for aid of up to 115 euros per child step by step
The Child Allowance does not have an independent form from the minimum vital income. Even if it can be received without being entitled to the main benefit, it is necessary to use the IMV application procedure.
To submit the request, interested parties can follow these steps:
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Access the official Social Security portal through imv.seg-social.es, where information about the minimum vital income and the child allowance is available.
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Use the IMV simulator, which allows you to enter data about the household members, their income, and their net worth to obtain guidance on the possible right to the benefit.
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Complete the minimum vital income application, even if the goal is to receive exclusively the CAPI. Social Security will examine whether it is appropriate to recognize both benefits or only the allowance.
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Provide the necessary documentation, which may include identity documents of household members, information on residence, family data, and any additional accreditation required.
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Check the status of the file through the Social Security service channels and respond to any possible documentation requirements.
For those who need assistance, the agency provides the free phone number 020, specialized in information about the minimum vital income.
The administration can verify certain economic and family data through the exchange of information with other public bodies, although in some files it will be necessary to provide additional documentation.
Do you have to apply again for the assistance if you already receive the IMV?
People who already receive the minimum vital income do not need to submit an independent application to obtain the Child Assistance Supplement, as long as they meet the corresponding requirements.
Social Security includes its recognition within the benefit itself when the family unit includes minors. The same applies to those who have already submitted an IMV application that remains in processing: the supplement must be examined within the file.
Instead, families that have never applied for minimum vital income and want to access only the CAPI must start the procedure, even if their income is too high to receive the main benefit.
Therefore, it is not necessary to first apply for the IMV, wait for it to be denied, and then submit a second request for the supplement. The same application allows both rights to be assessed.
When payments start and until what age the assistance is maintained
The Child Assistance Supplement is paid monthly by bank transfer to the person who holds the benefit.
In general, the economic effects of recognition begin on the first day of the month following the submission of the application, provided that the legal requirements are met. This does not mean that the payment necessarily occurs on that same day, since the file must be processed and resolved.
The assistance can be maintained as long as there are minors who are entitled to the supplement in the home and the economic and personal conditions continue to be met. Social Security reviews the situation of families and may modify or terminate the benefit if the circumstances that determined its recognition change.
The amount is also updated depending on the established age brackets. Therefore, the amounts may vary as the children grow, although the reference used to calculate them is the age that corresponds to each minor at the start of the year.
The key: you can work and receive the child support supplement
Having a job, receiving a payroll or not meeting the economic requirements of the minimum vital income does not automatically prevent access to the 115 euros per month per child. Social Security sets for the CAPI broader thresholds that allow including households with employment income.
The benefit also does not require that all children be under three years old. Families with older children can benefit from the monthly brackets of 80.50 and 57.50 euros, as long as they meet the legal conditions.
Therefore, before ruling out the aid for not receiving the IMV, it is advisable to consult the official simulator of Social Security and check the income and assets of the entire family unit.
The Child Help Supplement can represent an additional income of up to 1,380 euros per year for each child under three years old, an amount that is added to the corresponding amounts for other children in the household unit. Its recognition, however, is not automatic just because you have children: it depends on meeting all the requirements established for 2026.