Contact
- 24-hour emergency care 900 61 00 61
- Foreign +34 91 919 61 61
- Monday to Sunday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. 900 61 00 61
- Other ways to contact
When a child needs direct, continuous and permanent care due to a serious illness, the priority is to be able to accompany them without this entailing an additional financial worry. At FREMAP we accompany you in this process, offering clear information and support in managing childcare benefits, so that families can focus on what is most important: the child's well-being.
From this page you will find guidance on coverage, requirements and main procedures, as well as the channels to process the benefit quickly and securely.
Who can apply for this benefit
The benefit is aimed at workers who need to reduce their working hours by at least 50% to meet the direct, continuous and permanent care needs of a minor affected by cancer or another serious illness included in the annex of the regulation, provided that both parents, guardians or permanent foster parents are working. The aim is to compensate for the loss of income resulting from the mandatory reduction of working hours during the hospitalization or prolonged treatment of the child. As long as the care needs remain, the benefit can be extended until the person in question turns 23, or until 26 if they prove a disability equal to or greater than 65%.
Conditions for entitlement to the benefit
To access the benefit, you need to:
- Being registered or in a situation equivalent to registration with Social Security.
- That both parents/guardians are working.
- Reduce working hours by at least 50%.
- That the minor is affected by cancer or a serious illness from the official list, with a proven need for direct, permanent and continuous care.
- Have the official declaration from the Public Health Service (SPS) that certifies prolonged hospitalization or care comparable to "hospitalization at home".
- To fulfill the contribution period required in the corresponding scheme when required.
- Not to be in situations incompatible with this benefit, such as Temporary Disability, birth and care of a minor or certain cases of ERTE.
Documents you will need to provide
The employee must present:
- Official application for the benefit.
- Company certificate accrediting the reduction of working hours (at least 50%) and the applicant's contribution.
- Official medical statement from the SPS certifying:
- Diagnosis of cancer or serious illness.
- Need for direct, permanent and continuous care.
- Prolonged hospitalization or equivalent treatment.
- Documentation proving that both parents are working.
- Documentation relating to the relationship with the deceased:
- For Parent/Foster Parent/Adoptive Parent/Guardian: Family book, or failing that, certificate of the child's registration in the Civil Registry or judicial/administrative resolution of adoption, foster care or designation as guardian.
- For Spouse or Civil Partner: Marriage certificate or, in the case of a de facto partnership, a certificate from the Registry of De Facto Partnerships or a copy of the notarial deed of its constitution.
- Identity verification through electronic signature of the application. If you do not have a digital certificate, the identity of the signing applicant must be verified by presenting the original ID card or official document that replaces it in person, which will be checked by FREMAP.
- Bank details for payment of the benefit.
- Agreement between both parents to determine who assumes care. In the event of separation or divorce, the agreement regulating the custody of the minor.
It is a daily accrual subsidy, paid for each calendar day while the protected situation lasts.
- The benefit is maintained as long as the need for care and the reduction in working hours persist.
- It becomes extinct when:
- The reduction of working hours ceases.
- The need for care disappears.
- The person in question turns 23 (26 with a disability ≥65%).
- The beneficiary is fully reintegrated into the workforce.
How to act, step by step
The itinerary for the worker is simple if we look at it in phases:
1
Check requirements and confirm that the need for reduced working hours is met.
2
Request the official medical declaration from the SPS.
3
Request the company certificate for reduced working hours.
4
Prepare the documentation and submit the application at any FREMAP center.
5
FREMAP will review the information, validate the requirements, and issue a resolution.
6
Once granted, FREMAP will manage the periodic payment of the subsidy as long as the conditions are maintained and the documentation justifying its extension is provided.
- Consolidated Text of the General Social Security Law (TRLGSS): art. 190 et seq..
- Royal Decree 1148/2011, of July 29 (RDCM): regulatory development of the service.
- Annex I of the RDCM: List of serious illnesses (includes cancer and serious illnesses that may be updated by ministerial order).
- Royal Decree-Law 2/2023, with improvements in the extension of the age of the deceased and continuity of the right.
- INSS management criteria regarding ERTE, suspension of rights and compatibility.
Can I claim benefits if only one parent works?
Both parents/guardians must be working. In the event of separation or divorce, the parent with whom the deceased lived must be working.
Does hospitalization always have to be involved?
Yes, there must be prolonged hospital admission or care equivalent to "hospitalization at home". Exceptionally, if, according to the medical team performing the treatment, admission is not advisable, requiring direct, permanent and continuous care, it may be considered fulfilled.
What percentage of my working day should I reduce?
At least 50% of the working day.
How much does it cost? Is the subsidy 100%?
Yes, 100% of the regulatory base for temporary incapacity applying the percentage of reduction of working hours.
What happens if the child's condition improves?
If the person no longer requires direct, permanent and continuous care, the benefit is terminated.