Spain's Welfare State: Pillars, Benefits, and Social Services

The Legislative Framework for Public Health Intervention

The Pillars of the Welfare State in Spain

The Four Pillars:

Pension System: This is the generalization of the social security system and universal pensions. The Non-Contributory Pension Law was enacted in 1991.

Health System: Created with the General Health Act 1986.

Education System: LOGSE (General Law of Education) in 1990, made education compulsory to age 16.

System for Autonomy and Dependence: Law for the Promotion of Personal Autonomy and Care for Dependent Persons, December 2006, guarantees the right of people who cannot fend for themselves.

The Benefits of the System for Autonomy and Dependence

Services: Services to prevent situations of dependency, services and tele-home care services, day care centers, night and residential care services.

Economic Benefits: Three types of economic benefits: linked to the service, to citizens in the family and carers support, and personal assistance.

The Network of Social Services

General Social Services or Community: Available to all citizens equally.

Specialized Social Services: Specialty care for children, disabled people, women, seniors, youth, and drug addicts.

The Deployment of Social Services in Spain

The Powers of the State

The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs is the highest level in the organization of social services in Spain. Furthermore, the Law of Personal Autonomy plays an important role in providing social services to certain groups. Areas addressed include social security, social services, family, and disabled individuals.

For greater efficiency in the management and administration of social security, management companies have been established. Most importantly, with respect to social services, is the Institute for the Elderly and Social Services, which conducts activities in the area of elderly and dependent people.

The ministry also oversees some entities outside the administration, but which have an important role in the social development of the community, such as the ONCE and the Red Cross.

Autonomous Powers

A peculiarity of the Spanish organizational system, reflected in the Constitution, is the fact that certain materials are transferred to the Autonomous Communities. This is what happens with social services. Each community developed its own law of social services in line with the basic legislation emanating from the ministry.

Each community must determine the services it offers, coordinate and regulate the management of the various sites, and ensure compliance with the rules.

The Role of Local Authorities

Municipalities with more than twenty thousand inhabitants will have to organize social services. The way services are involved in the management of these services will be referred to in the specific regulation of the autonomous region to which they belong.