INSS family benefits: pregnancy, breastfeeding and orphanhood

These are financial aids from the Seguridad Social (the Spanish social security system) linked to pregnancy, upbringing and the death of a family member. This guide covers 5: risk during pregnancy, risk during natural breastfeeding, the benefit for the care of minors affected by cancer or another serious illness (CUME), the benefit for co-responsibility in infant care and the orphan's pension.

Risk during pregnancy and during natural breastfeeding protects the worker when her job is dangerous for her, the foetus or the nursing child and the company cannot adapt it or move her to a compatible one. The contract is suspended and she receives 100% of the regulatory base for professional contingencies.

CUME compensates for the reduction in working hours (minimum 50%) of a parent to care for a minor with cancer or another serious illness requiring long-term hospital admission or direct, continuous and permanent care. Co-responsibility for infant care remunerates the daily half-hour reduction that both parents take between 9 and 12 months of the baby's life. Orphanhood is the pension for the children of a deceased person who was contributing or was a pensioner.

For risk during pregnancy and natural breastfeeding, it is enough to be affiliated and registered: no minimum contribution period is required because they derive from a professional contingency. You must prove the risk with a certificate from the medical service of the mutual insurance company or the INSS and that the company does not have a compatible position. For breastfeeding, it must also be natural breastfeeding and the child must be under 9 months old.

For CUME and co-responsibility for infant care, both parents (or the sole parent in a single-parent family) must work and be registered, although only one receives the benefit. Here, a minimum contribution period is required depending on the applicant's age (see table). Co-responsibility is an individual and non-transferable right: both must reduce their working hours by half an hour, with the same duration and regime.

For orphanhood, the requirements are provided by the deceased person (the originator): if they were registered and die from an accident or occupational disease, no contribution is required; if they die from a common illness while registered, 500 contributed days in the previous 5 years; if they were not registered, 15 contributed years. Beneficiaries are children under 21 years of age, up to 25 if they do not work or their income is below the minimum wage, and with no age limit for those who have an absolute permanent disability or severe invalidity.

Risk during pregnancy and during natural breastfeeding: 100% of the regulatory base for professional contingencies. Pregnancy is paid until the birth rest period begins; breastfeeding, until the child turns 9 months old.

CUME: 100% of the regulatory base for professional contingencies, in proportion to the percentage of working hour reduction (which must be at least 50%). Co-responsibility for infant care: 100% of the regulatory base for common contingencies, in proportion to the reduction (the daily half hour), from month 9 to 12 of the baby's life.

Orphan's pension: 20% of the regulatory base for each orphan. In absolute orphanhood (both parents or the only known parent die), the percentage of the widow's pension is divided equally among all eligible orphans, increasing their pension. The applicable contributions and personal income tax are deducted from the amount of all these benefits. Applying for them at the INSS has no tasa (official fee): Managora prepares and submits them for you, and the amount of our service is shown on the file for each procedure.

For risk: form 8-007, medical risk certificate from the mutual insurance company or the INSS, company declaration that there is no compatible position, ID card or NIE (foreigner identity number) and working life report. For natural breastfeeding, also the certificate that the child is naturally breastfed.

For CUME: form 8-015, hospital declaration proving the illness and the need for care, company certificate with the reduction in working hours and family book. For co-responsibility: specific application with certificates from both companies regarding the half-hour reduction. For orphanhood: application for survival benefits, death certificate, family book and documentation of the originator.

Submission is done at the electronic headquarters of the Seguridad Social (with a digital certificate, Cl@ve, the Spanish electronic identification system, or electronic ID) or at an Information and Attention Centre (CAISS) by appointment. Risk during pregnancy and breastfeeding is submitted to the mutual insurance company or the INSS covering professional contingencies.

The risk benefit is resolved in about 30 days from when the entity receives the complete application and documentation. Minor care and survival benefits are resolved once all the required documentation is submitted. Payment is monthly, by bank transfer.

Managora checks that you meet the requirements, gathers and reviews the medical and work certificates, completes the corresponding official form, submits it on your behalf to the INSS or the mutual insurance company and follows up until resolution. You only provide the documents; we take care of the procedure.

The current framework is the Texto Refundido de la Ley General de la Seguridad Social (Real Decreto Legislativo 8/2015). Real Decreto 295/2009 regulates risk during pregnancy, risk during natural breastfeeding and the birth and care of a minor. The benefit for the care of minors affected by cancer or another serious illness (CUME) is regulated in Real Decreto 1148/2011, and the benefit for the co-responsible exercise of infant care is based on articles 183 to 185 of the LGSS.

In CUME, the extension of the minor's age from 18 to 23 years (up to 26 with a disability equal to or greater than 65%) remains fully applicable, developed by Real Decreto 677/2023. The income limit that extends orphanhood up to 25 years is measured against the minimum interprofessional wage (SMI), which is updated every year: it is advisable to check the SMI amount in force in 2026.