In March, the government signaled plans to reform the European Union style requirements for social energy support. It aimed to limit access to electricity and heating bonuses to households that truly need them, by introducing income ceilings for benefit eligibility. At present, large families can receive support regardless of their income level, and the move sought to prevent benefits from flowing to households with less need.
During that period, Enrique Ossorio, then the vice president of the Community of Madrid and regional leader of Más Madrid, together with Monica Garcia, today the health minister, drew attention to social electricity and thermal bonuses tied to large family status, arguing that public salaries sometimes distance recipients from the vulnerable profile the policy targets.
The government subsequently emphasized its intent to move forward “as soon as possible” with the social bonus reform. Yet weeks later, it began to retreat from rapid changes, seeking consensus with major family associations before any implementation. The political pause created by the early elections on 23J and the time needed to form a new government made it harder to advance the reform quickly.
Ten months after the announcement, the promised reform had not yet arrived. The Ministry of Ecological Transition stated that work continued, maintaining open dialogue with family associations to secure broad consensus, and no public hearing deadline had been set for when reform might open. While the legal reform remained pending, thousands of new large families continued to join the list of beneficiaries for the social electricity and thermal bonuses, with no income cap yet in force.
By the end of last September, around 380,400 large families were receiving electricity bill help. Since the administration publicly announced the plan to impose income caps, nearly 17,500 new households with three or more children were added, according to the latest official counts from the Ministry of Ecological Transition. Large families then accounted for about a quarter of the total 1.55 million people benefiting from the social bonus.
The government insisted that reform of the eligibility criteria for the electricity social bonus (a discount on bills for vulnerable households) and the thermal social bonus (a voucher to help cover gas, water, and heating costs) would be pursued so that large families could access the assistance with clear income limits. The objective was to determine maximum income thresholds per household that would include larger families without diluting the program’s targets.
Higher rent limits
The Spanish Federation of Large Families argued for continued aid to households with more children, noting that they consume more power and face higher electrical needs. If income caps were introduced, associations proposed calculating limits on a per capita basis, meaning that income would reflect both overall family earnings and family size.
Regardless of the specifics, the government signaled a measured approach toward Turkey, with Teresa Ribera, vice president and minister of Ecological Transition, noting that large families often include several cohabitants. Because of those characteristics, these households could retain social electricity and gas vouchers even when income levels are higher than typical vulnerability thresholds.
Policy insiders did not disclose exact future reform details, including the precise limit type or the maximum income figures for large families. The plan appeared to favor flexibility, allowing higher incomes so that every child in a large family could access assistance. In general, income limits for additional children were proposed to be based on a multiplier of the IPREM indicator, set this year at 8,400 euros per year across 14 installments. For large families, this multiplier would be higher, enabling some higher-income households to continue receiving social bonuses and thermal assistance.
Currently, households with two adults and one child are considered vulnerable and receive the electric social bonus. The government data indicated a limit of 23,520 euros for units with an annual family income below 19,320 euros, with two adults and two children. For large families, the threshold begins around 26,500 euros starting from the third child.
Bonds strengthened by the crisis
The electricity social bonus provides a discount ranging from 25% to 40% on electricity bills, depending on the level of fragility. As part of anti-crisis measures, discounts were temporarily increased to as high as 65% to 80% of income for some households. Large families are eligible for a 25% discount regardless of income, unless they are classified as particularly vulnerable or seriously vulnerable consumers.
The electricity voucher also offers access to the thermal social bonus, which is a one-time payment ranging from 40 to 375 euros per year depending on the degree of vulnerability and the climatic zone of residence.
The government also introduced a temporary exceptional social bonus for middle-class households affected by the energy crisis. This measure provides around 40 percent off electricity bills for families with two adults and two children whose annual income can reach up to 27,700 euros, reflecting ongoing economic uncertainty from the conflict and energy markets. [Citation: Ministry of Ecological Transition, 2023]