Overview
- The 2021 supplement was created to offset motherhood-related career interruptions but is now being granted mainly to fathers, according to the latest reporting.
- In May, the Court of Justice of the European Union deemed the original design discriminatory toward men, prompting Spain’s Social Security to award the top-up on equal terms.
- The shift in recipients occurred within roughly six months after the ruling, marking a rapid reversal from earlier practice.
- The supplement adds €35.90 per month per child in 2025, up to four children, and is paid on top of contributory pensions such as retirement, disability or widowhood.
- The article reports two consequences of the reversal: a wider gender pension gap and a roughly 6% rise in Social Security’s annual budget, as the government works on a redesigned benefit.