200 euros in aid per child per month: a good proposal

Finally, the proposal to include a universal child benefit is on the table, with broad political and technical consensus. Today, Xavier Trabado, president of the Catalan Third Sector Social Organizations Roundtable, is defending it in the ARA newspaper. These organizations have long supported such a measure. With this initiative, which the Spanish government wants to include in the 2026 budget—it remains to be seen whether it will be approved—families would receive €200 per month for each dependent child under 18 (€2,400 per year per child). Nineteen of the twenty-seven countries in the European Union have a similar allowance. Is it a good idea? Is it socially just? What is its purpose? Would it work?

Spain, and especially Catalonia, has the highest rates of child poverty in Europe. Specifically, the data shows that 36.5% of minors living in Catalonia are in a situation of poverty, a percentage that stands at 34.6% in Spain as a whole, second only to Bulgaria. One in three Catalan children suffers from vulnerable situations, meaning problems with housing, food, energy poverty, etc. This is a deeply entrenched reality that has many costs for society, both human and economic: above all, it entails health risks and early school leaving, or a poor level of academic performance (poor PISA results are linked to these factors). It is a burden that hinders social cohesion and collective progress, and ultimately results in ineffective and recurring social spending to address these critical situations.

Apart from generating demagogic accusations of slip From the far right, the aid ad hocContrary to false and malicious stereotypes, these benefits are by no means a sieve; quite the contrary. In the case of the State's Child Benefit Supplement (CAPI), for example, almost 80% of the families entitled to it do not receive it due to lack of awareness or bureaucracy. In reality, universal aid, which at first glance might seem unfair because it also benefits well-off families who perhaps don't need it, is effective in practice because it is automatically given to all families without the need to apply. This ensures that it reaches those who need it. Incidentally, it is also a measure that promotes birth rates. It is worth remembering that, once again, Catalonia and Spain are at historic lows and are among the lowest in the world in terms of births.

The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child advocates for universal aid to combat child poverty and recommends it especially for Spain. It is not so much an ideological stance as a practical strategy to truly address the problem. In any case, it falls within the same political framework as universal free healthcare and education, which also reach everyone regardless of family income. Redistributive equality is sought through a progressive tax model. In this sense, to cover the cost of this contribution of 200 euros per child per month (which would represent around 1% of GDP), the Spanish government wants to create a wealth tax that would levy 2% annually on assets exceeding 100 million euros.