A pension is a payment of money that a beneficiary receives for life or temporarily from Social Security. In Spain, more than nine million people receive this financial benefitwhich can be suspended if the requirements are not met or the procedures required by Social Security are presented.
One of the documents required to continue collecting the pension is the certificate of proof of life, which certifies that a person is alive, as well as their marital status, that is, if they are single, widowed or divorced.
“To avoid the suspension of Social Security pensions, it is necessary to remit annually, in the first three months of the year, a faith of life and State to the body that remits the pension, the Provincial Directorate of the National Social Security Institute”, as explained on its website by the Ministry of Labor and Social Economy. Therefore, this annual documentation is required between January 2 and March 31.
However, not all pensioners are required to present the certificate of proof of life, since only those who live abroad will have to present it in order to maintain this benefit. Thus, the Government explains that residents in the country “should not present any communication of proof of life or carry out any other procedure with the National Institute of Social Security (INSS)” in order to continue receiving their benefit normally.
This document can be obtained by means of a notarial certificate of presence or by appearing before those in charge of consular civil registriesor they are also issued in the ministries or sections of Labor, Migrations and Social Security of the place where they reside.
In additionthere is also the possibility of making the appearance by videoconference before these ministries or Labor, Migration and Social Security sections of the place where the pensioner resides, in order to avoid displacement of the interested parties.
What documents must I provide?
“Given the special nature of this process, The interested party must go personally to the Civil Registry of his address, with ID and, where appropriate, Family Book“, as explained by the Ministry of Labor and Social Economy on its website.
In the event that the interested party cannot attend in person due to being “prevented”, another person may attend,Carrying in any case a copy of your ID, a copy of the ID of the interested party, and a recent medical certificate (Medical certificates older than fifteen days will not be accepted, in general) or other documents proving said situation.