# Spain approves new social benefit reforms 22 October 2026 at 14:03 > The Spanish Government has passed a decree law expanding widow's pensions, disability benefits, and child support for families. The **Spanish Government** has approved a decree law to enhance social benefits for workers and families, as recorded in the **Official State Gazette**. Key reforms include granting widow's pensions to unmarried couples with children without requiring marriage, provided they prove two years of cohabitation. **Congress** must validate the law within one month. The decree extends **CUME** benefits for parents of children over 26 with severe disabilities and doubles orphanhood benefits for children of gender violence victims to over 34,000 euros. New temporary disability benefits are established for incapacitating menopause symptoms and gender violence injuries, payable from day one without a qualifying period. Further measures include increasing child support advances to 300 euros monthly until age 18 and equating terrorism victim compensation regardless of criminal sentencing. Catastrophic events will now be treated as work accidents for benefit purposes, while sea workers receive extended childcare subsidies. Most financial changes commence by late 2026. **Spain** [#Spain]() #SocialBenefits #PensionReform #GenderEquality #PublicPolicy ## Related news ## [Spain's daily menu price rises to 14.7 euros]() 23 October 2026 at 18:21 ## [Spain expands breast cancer screening to age 74]() 23 October 2026 at 16:40 ## [Spain Court Orders List of 163,020 New Citizens]() 23 October 2026 at 15:43 ## [Spain tracks shamonda virus after French death]() 23 October 2026 at 14:01 ## [Spain's quality of life index rises to 101.74]() 23 October 2026 at 11:08