The Government of Spain has tripled the maximum advance of the Food Payment Guarantee Fund (FGPA), increasing it from 100 to 300 euros per month per beneficiary, following the approval of Royal Decree-Law 31/2026 at the Council of Ministers on October 20, published in the Official State Gazette this Wednesday.
The fund, established in 2007 with an initial endowment of ten million euros, had not updated its limits in nearly two decades.
The reform also introduces a structural change in the coverage period: the 18-month limit that previously applied is eliminated, allowing the advance to be maintained as long as the child support obligation remains in effect and unpaid, until the child turns 18 or the obligation is terminated for another legal reason.
The advances that have already been granted and are currently in force will be reviewed automatically, without the need to submit a new application. The new maximum amount will take effect from November 1, 2026, and will also be considered for pending applications.
The income threshold for the household unit is also updated and is linked to the minimum interprofessional wage: 1.75 times that wage with one dependent child, two times with two children, and 2.25 times with three, increasing progressively.
The Minister of Inclusion, Social Security, and Migration, Elma Saiz, presented the measure as part of a package of social reforms aimed at "strengthening the protection of families."
The mechanism does not eliminate the debt of the non-compliant parent: the State anticipates the amounts to the custodial parent and can later claim them from the debtor.
The fund covers situations arising from divorces, separations, annulments, and processes related to parentage or alimony where there is a Spanish court ruling that establishes the pension and verifies the non-payment.
The reform is directly relevant to Cuban families residing in Spain. According to data from the National Institute of Statistics collected by CiberCuba in October 2026, a total of 252,290 persons of Cuban origin resided in Spain in 2025, placing Cuba ninth among the countries of birth of the resident population in Spain, with Madrid, Catalonia, and the Canary Islands as the main areas of concentration.
Cuban minors —nationals of a state that is not a member of the European Union— would be included within the scope of the fund as long as they meet the legal requirements, including proving legal residency in Spain for the two years immediately prior to the application and that the family income does not exceed the established limits. However, if the person holding guardianship and custody is a Spanish national, no prior residency period is required for the minor, although the minor must legally reside in Spain. For minors under two years old, the time requirement applies to the person exercising their guardianship and custody.
The regulation also reduces the required residence period for certain non-EU foreign minors and includes some cohabiting minors whose parentage in relation to the other parent is not determined.
As it is a royal decree-law, the Permanent Deputation of Congress must validate it within a maximum period of 30 days from its publication in the Official State Gazette.
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