Spain's left-wing government on Tuesday approved new social benefits ahead of a snap election next month, including disability benefits for women suffering from severe menopause symptoms, widowhood pensions for unmarried couples and more.
The Spanish Cabinet has approved a royal decree law introducing various social protection measures for vulnerable groups.
Unmarried couples who had children together can now access widowhood pensions after two years of cohabitation without formal registration, and those previously denied can request a retroactive review within 12 months.
Parents caring for minors with severe illnesses or cancer will have more flexible access to financial aid, which can extend beyond the dependent's 26th birthday in cases of severe disability.
Victims of gender violence will receive specific temporary leave benefits funded primarily by Social Security, starting at 60 percent of their base salary and increasing to 75 percent.
The law also establishes temporary disability benefits for women suffering from severe menopause symptoms without requiring a minimum contribution period.
Furthermore, the decree triples the maximum child support advances to €300 and significantly increases both extraordinary pensions for terrorism victims and orphanhood benefits linked to gender violence.
Government spokeswoman Elma Saiz defended the timing, saying the government had a duty to continue addressing citizens' needs.
"This government continues to govern. It must continue to respond to the challenges facing citizens," she told a news conference after a weekly cabinet meeting.
The measures were adopted through a royal decree-law, allowing them to take effect immediately but requiring parliamentary approval within 30 days.
Saiz said expanding social protection was compatible with fiscal discipline and strong economic indicators.
The announcement comes after Spain's electoral commission opened proceedings against Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez earlier this month over a news conference at his official Moncloa residence the day after he called a snap election for November 29th.
The commission said Sánchez had gone beyond presenting cabinet decisions by praising his government's record, criticising the opposition and expressing a desire to secure a larger parliamentary majority.
"The prime minister can defend his political position and criticise those of other parties, but during the electoral period he cannot do so by taking advantage of the public resources available to him by virtue of his office," the commission said.
It added, however, that the election campaign did not prevent constitutional institutions from carrying out their normal functions, including the government's adoption of measures.
Sanchez's Socialists trail the main opposition conservative Popular Party (PP) in most opinion polls ahead of the election.
With additional reporting by The Local Spain's editor Alex Dunham