The payroll for the Ingreso Mínimo Vital (IMV) reached 18,835 households in the province of Las Palmas in May, according to the latest statistics published by the National Social Security Institute (INSS). Among them, it is estimated that there are between 3,200 and 3,400 families from Lanzarote.
The profile of beneficiary households reveals the relationship between economic vulnerability and family structure. One in six beneficiary households is single-parent, mostly supported by women who single-handedly assume the responsibility of raising their children.
The Canary Islands Citizen Income acts as a supplement when the income of the family unit does not reach the guaranteed income that corresponds. Canary Islands regulations take the IMV amounts as a reference and deduct the benefits and income already received.
68% of IMV account holders are women and more than half of the beneficiaries are also women. In this context, the IMV acts as a stability mechanism for many families in which women assume the main economic and care responsibilities.
In all of Spain, there are 862,859 households, in 590,959 of which minors live. The benefit protects 2,631,545 people. The average amount of the benefit is 538.7 euros per month per household, and overall, this month's payroll amounted to 500.2 million euros.
In May 2026, there were 146,768 more active benefits than a year ago, with the number of protected households increasing by almost 20.5%, a percentage similar to the increase in the number of beneficiaries, almost 20% (437,879) more compared to the same month of the previous year.
Both by the profile of the account holders and the beneficiaries, we can say that the IMV has a marked female profile. In May, 68% of account holders (587,066) and 53.4% of beneficiaries (1,406,210) were women.
In its almost six years of validity, the IMV has protected almost 3.7 million people (3,667,743), progressively adapting to the reality of households and improving its response capacity to situations of vulnerability.
Social investment in childhood
The IMV has consolidated itself as a model in which child protection occupies a central place. Currently, 1,069,948 boys, girls, and adolescents are beneficiaries of the benefit, representing 40.7% of the total. In cumulative terms, almost 1.6 million minors have been covered by the benefit since 2020.
More than two-thirds of families receiving the IMV have minors in their care (590,959 households, almost 70% of the total), which demonstrates its direct impact on reducing child poverty.
“More than a million boys and girls are growing up today in households protected by the Minimum Vital Income, and this is the best proof that the benefit is reaching those who need it most,” emphasizes Elma Saiz, Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migrations.
Child Support Supplement
The Child Support Supplement (CAPI) reinforces IMV coverage with additional support for each child in care. In May, 597,878 households received it, with an average aid of 66.9 euros per minor and 121.8 euros per household with minors. This benefit establishes different amounts based on age: 115 euros per month for minors under 3 years old; 80.5 euros between 3 and 6 years old; and 57.5 euros between 6 and 18 years old.
The CAPI can be received independently of the IMV, as it has broader income thresholds. Thus, in addition to protecting families in situations of severe poverty, it reaches households with low or moderate incomes. For example, a family of two adults and two minors with incomes of up to approximately 4,182 euros per month can apply for it, which significantly expands the scope of the protection network against child poverty.
Minimum Vital Income and young people
The IMV acts not only as a protection mechanism but also as an accompaniment tool towards the inclusion of young people. The average age of beneficiaries, at 28.5 years old - and 20.7 years old if heads of household are excluded - reflects its impact on the stages when working life begins. In this regard, compatibility with earned income and incentives for labor market integration reinforce its role as a lever towards employment.
Precisely, the improvements incorporated into the IMV facilitate access to the benefit for young people in vulnerable situations. For example, people over 18 years old or emancipated minors with children in their care can apply for the aid. And the period of independent living for young people under 30 years old has been reduced from 3 to 2 years.
General requirements to apply for the IMV
The IMV is a Social Security benefit that guarantees a minimum income level for households in vulnerable situations and was launched almost six years ago. It is configured as a subjective right, adapted to the reality of each cohabitation unit, and constitutes a key instrument in the fight against poverty and social exclusion, with special attention to minors.
To apply for the IMV, it is necessary to have resided in Spain legally, effectively, and continuously for at least the previous year. Residence is demonstrated by registration in the central foreigners register in the case of EU and Swiss citizens, or with the corresponding authorization in the case of third-country nationals. Domicile in Spain is verified with a certificate of registration and the cohabitation unit is demonstrated by the family book, civil registry certificates, or registration data.
In addition, both the applicant and the other members of their household must be in a situation of economic vulnerability, by not having sufficient income or assets.
In the case of people who exhaust their unemployment benefit and do not manage to reintegrate into work, they access the IMV without needing to apply for it or provide new documentation, as the SEPE and Social Security carry out the recognition ex officio.
Likewise, the incorporation of the double income review system allows families to know in advance the update of their benefit. As a consequence, since last year, beneficiaries already know whether, based on the previous year's income, their benefit will increase, decrease, or be extinguished.
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