There are several cases of Spaniards where the Social Security took part of the money they received for the benefit of the Minimum Vital Income (IMV). This entity, through the Treasury, inspects the data on the beneficiaries, and decides if a person received more or less money than they received.
For people like Bonifacio or Margarita, the Social Security forced them to return thousands of euros in the form of debt and for the reason of “improper collection for a year and a half”, in the case of Margarita. These two residents of Vigo complained that they did not have the money to pay a lawyer to help them file a case. So they went to a neighborhood association in Vigo. Their spokesperson assured that this is a group at risk of being excluded and that is why they are charging IMV.
In Bonifacio’s case, he started receiving benefits when his wife lost her job, but after a few months she got a part-time job for 500 euros to pay the rent and was not withdrawn by Social Security the help. “If you ask for help, obviously you don’t have 6,000 euros. The most serious thing is that Social Security created a debt for us that I did not ask for,” said the affected person.
The Treasury and Social Security go hand in hand
Social Security is responsible for providing this assistance, but once the Treasury reviews the declarations and suspects that it is overpaid, it claims it. The opposite can also happen. In other cases, the benefit amount may increase. All beneficiaries of IMV must submit an income tax return, regardless of the amount of their income. Also the members of the coexistence unit. These data from the Tax Agency are sent to the National Social Security Institute.
The status of each beneficiary may change from year to year. The Treasury controls the income of the family receiving the assistance. In this way, it checks whether or not the income set for each beneficiary is maintained. If the situation changes, Social Security can withdraw the assistance or even ask for an overpayment.
