SEPE Tightens Rules: What Income Disqualifies You from the Short-Term Work Subsidy. SEPE now requires all family income to be declared when applying for the short-term work subsidy. The calculation uses gross salary, and the limit is set at €915.75 per family member. Exceeding this threshold makes you ineligible for assistance.
The amount of €915.75 is the key income threshold per person for those applying for an SEPE subsidy due to insufficient work history. The State Employment Service has officially confirmed: when reviewing an application, they take into account not only the applicant's personal income, but also the earnings of all family members with whom the applicant lives.
The main requirement is that the combined income of each family member must not exceed 75% of the minimum wage (SMI), which is currently €915.75 per month. The calculation is based on gross salary, meaning the amount before taxes and social contributions are deducted. This rule applies to all types of income: salaries, pensions, rental income, interest on deposits, and even one-time payments.
To receive the subsidy, it is enough to have three months of official work experience if you have family responsibilities, or six months if you do not. However, if the family's total income exceeds the set limit, the assistance will be denied. As SEPE notes, not only regular payments are counted, but also all additional income, including bonuses and annual incentives.
The question of whether SEPE checks gross or net income often causes confusion. The answer is clear: the agency only looks at gross salary, without deducting taxes or social contributions. This can become an unexpected obstacle for families where part of the income goes toward mandatory payments, but the formal threshold is still exceeded. A detailed analysis of why the difference between gross and net income can disqualify you from the subsidy can be found in material by russpain.com.
If the applicant is engaged in entrepreneurial, agricultural, or creative activities, SEPE considers the difference between income and expenses in these areas. However, the final amount must still fall within the limit for each family member.
Another important detail: if several family members have an income, each of them must stay within the established threshold. Even if the total family income does not exceed the limit, but one member's income is above €915.75, the subsidy will not be approved.
SEPE emphasizes: the insufficient employment record subsidy is taxable as regular income, with a minimum IRPF rate—usually 2%. At the same time, tax deductions are not taken into account when calculating eligibility for the subsidy.
An application for the subsidy must be submitted within six months after the right to receive it arises. Missing this deadline automatically forfeits the right to assistance.
For many families, this limit becomes critical: even a slight increase in gross income may lead to refusal. It is important to calculate all sources of income in advance and keep in mind that SEPE does not make exceptions for those who receive part of their salary as bonuses or additional payments.
