How to request maternity and paternity leave permits during the State of Alarm? Due to the Coronavirus health crisis, the INSS offices are not open to the public, but Social Security has established an alternative procedure to request this parental leave online, which you can access even without a digital certificate.
How to apply for maternity and paternity leave during the coronavirus crisis?
Maternity and paternity leave is now called “birth and childcare benefit” since March 2019. The request for these permits, now that the INSS offices are not open to the public due to the State of Alarm restrictions, has become a bit complicated, but there are alternative systems to request them.
There are two ways to apply for the Birth and childcare benefit, depending on whether or not you have a digital certificate:
A) I have a digital certificate, electronic DNI or Cl@ve System
Faced with this situation, the best option, as long as you have a digital certificate, electronic DNI or Cl@ve, is to process the benefit request directly through the Social Security Electronic Headquarters.
The process is done in a single step so is quite fast. Simply access this address, identify yourself and provide the information. There are two possible access routes that require identification: login in your Social Security Portal and also through the Family section within “Citizens”.
B) I do not have electronic identification means to request the Birth and Childcare Benefit
What happens if the father/mother does not have a digital certificate, electronic DNI or Cl@ve?
Well, this is the reality of many parents, who cannot directly use the Social Security portal because they do not have any means of online identification. However, given this particular situation caused by the coronavirus, it is not possible at this time to request a new digital certificate because to complete the process is necessary for the citizen to see an authorized official of the Public Administration, and in most of its dependencies no service is provided to the public.
That is why Social Security has enabled an alternative system, in which the identification requirements are lowered for those people who do not have these certificates.
1) The first step is to obtain the form and fill it out
It is available on this Social Security Forms section. The most common form that you have to download is the one called “Request birth and childcare benefit” (in Spanish: “Nacimiento y cuidado de menor por parto”).
Through this link, you can download the Birth and Childcare Benefit Request (PDF Form).
This PDF document can be filled out preferably on a computer, but you will need a PDF Reader like Acrobat Reader or any that gives you the option of editing the document.
Once you have completed the form, save it. However, if you have technical problems, print it out and take a readable photo, or scan of the document.
2) Now submit the Birth and Childcare Benefit request to Social Security
For this, a special communications system has been created, which does not need a digital certificate, but Social Security warns of the following:
“Exceptional measures COVID-19:
Alternatively, while the current restriction measures are maintained, you can submit urgent and unpostponable documents, requests, and notifications through this service without identifying yourself electronically, if you do not have the means to do so.
Please note that, in this method of application, your letter or request will not be formalized in the Electronic Registry of Social Security and a receipt for your submission will not be generated.
We also inform you that it may be necessary for us to contact you to prove your identity, verify the data and documentation submitted, or if applicable, request additional documentation.
To avoid harm to citizens, during the State of Alarm, the deadlines for processing procedures related to Social Security benefits are suspended.
Click here if you need to access the forms and samples section.
We remind you of the need to make responsible use of this channel to ensure the proper and effective supply of the service.”
If you need to access the section “Filing of other documents, applications, and notices (National Social Security Institute)” click on this link. Access this site using an identification means and a window like the one below will be displayed for you to fill out your application.
In this form, you can fill out all the required data. In the drop-down options, choose INSS > your province > subsidies. Then, in the note, it is explained that a birth and childcare benefit is requested. The father must make a request and the mother a different one.
In “documents” you have to press the button to open a file browser and be able to upload the birth certificate, or the certificate provided by the hospital where the child was born, or any other supporting document if the previous ones cannot be obtained.
Once you answer the question (which is there to prevent automated robots from saturating the form) click on “Continue”.
Throughout the process, it is very important to carefully write your name, surname, and above all the DNI/NIE and the contact telephone numbers and email, so the INSS managers can contact you if any additional submission or verification needs to be done, or simply to confirm that the benefit has been processed and approved.
Do you still need help?
We want to listen to you and know what your questions are about the procedures you have to carry out when applying for Social Security benefits. Count on the advice of our experts to clarify all your doubts. Check out our service of modification of your Social Security data!
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