The Ombudsman has recommended studying the possibility of release the income tax payment to state aid of a social nature received by groups at risk of exclusion, such as the thermal social bonus, to equate them to those of autonomous communities and local entities.
This Monday in the Congress of Deputies, one of the recommendations of the annual report of the Ombudsman corresponding to 2022 was delivered, in which it was indicated that it would be “desirable for the aid tax equalization regardless of who has established or manages them”.
In this way, he details that the thermal social bond It is state aid that is not included in the cases of exemptionas are other benefits that cover situations of precariousness and personal or family social emergency in various areas, such as housing, food or schooling.
Public employment improvements
Another of the Ombudsman’s recommendations calls for a ex officio review to the procedures in which male beneficiaries of a contributory pension have been denied their right to the maternity supplement and proceed to their recognition if they meet the requirements for it.
On the other hand, the report includes recommendations to improve the incorporation to the Administration of people with disabilities or avoid discrimination based on age -for example, to allow access to competitive examinations for people over 65 years of age-, as well as for the information on public employment processes to be published in Spanish.
Financial exclusion in immigrants
The Ombudsman warns that the requirements that financial institutions place on foreigners to open a basic payment account mean that “at least part of the immigrant population” residing in Spain is in risk of falling into financial exclusion.
Without going into assessing the facilities that the banks gave to Ukrainians fleeing after the Russian invasion, the Ombudsman points out the obstacles to opening an account that immigrants in an irregular situation encounter, or requirement of requirements that are not asked of the Spanish.
On the part of the banking entities, the legislation on money laundering is used to deny the opening of these accounts. Sometimes a negative test is also requested, that is, the interested parties are asked to prove the impossibility of their expulsion, says the Ombudsman in his 2022 report.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs has informed you of its intention to have an evaluation report on access to basic payment accounts and the definition of the situation of special vulnerability or risk of financial exclusion by which a free regime of the same is established.
The Ombudsman is waiting for this report, since he understands that it will be a valuable diagnostic tool of the current situation of the basic accounts that will allow him to obtain a contrasting vision with the data he already knows through the complaints he receives. and dialogue with agents and social entities.
