Abstract

Minimum insertion incomes are a type of economic benefit that acts as a last safety net in the face of loss of income and situations of social exclusion. The regional development of these benefits has generated significant regulatory and budgetary differences, as well as problems of inter-territorial equity in Spain.Despite the extensive literature that has evaluated the coverage and results of regional minimum insertion income programmes in Spain, as far as we are aware there are no estimates of non-take-up for these benefits. This indicator, which measures the percentage of the population that meets the eligibility criteria but does not apply for the benefit, should accompany the coverage rate when evaluating the performance of a public policy. This gap in evaluation has been due, among other factors, to the lack of an adequate database.
This study, carried out with data from the Household Panel, estimates that the non-take-up of minimum insertion income in the Autonomous Communities of the Common Regime in 2019 ranged between 55% and 94%, depending on the programme analysed. This percentage is higher than in other neighbouring countries. The study also analyses the protective capacity of the set of regional minimum incomes, which expels more than 50% of the population at risk of poverty due to the access requirements. In 2020, the Minimum Living Income was implemented throughout Spain, a benefit that aims to standardise and rationalise minimum income benefits. However, so far, it has not been possible to significantly reduce the existing non-take-up.

Reference 

Muñoz-Higueras, D., Fuenmayor, A., & Granell, R. (2025). Cuantificación del non-take-up en los programas de Rentas Mínimas de Inserción autonómicos en España. CIRIEC-España, Revista De economía Pública, Social Y Cooperativa, (113), 243–274. https://doi.org/10.7203/CIRIEC-E.113.28610