Low cost, and entitlement to health care under the Spanish Social Security system: the
self-employed person will pay a contribution each month to the Social Security system (approximately €250; reductions exist, for the under-30's for example).
These contributions entitle the
self-employed worker to health care and a pension when he or she comes to retire. If he or she is off work sick, from day 4 onwards he or she can claim financial aid from the Social Security system.
However, although there are a few advantages, the status of a
self-employed worker isn't completely comparable with that of an employed worker. But, in recent years in Spain, an attempt has been made to provide
working conditions for the
self-employed which are comparable with those of employed workers. Changes in the law to this effect are expected shortly in Spain.
On 29-09-2006 a
Draft Statute Bill was passed which proposes improvements such as: the opportunity to retire early; a special rate of contributions for part-time working in certain types of business activity; maternity and paternity leave; and risk benefits during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
Sons and
daughters under the age of 30 will
benefit from reductions in payments to the
Social Security system when they work as
self-employed persons within the family business. And a type of aid similar to unemployment benefit will be brought in for when a
self-employed worker gives up their business, trade or profession.
These significant improvements will, in some cases, entail a slight increase in contributions to the Social Security system, but the contributor's additional efforts will be repaid by quality social protection sufficient to cover all his or her needs.
All these measures are going through Parliament now. Therefore, they'll become Law and come into effect when they've been approved by the Congress and Senate.
