Government and unions reach an agreement in principle to reduce the ‘purchases’ of contributions from former interns
This Monday, the Government and the unions reached a “principle of agreement” to lower the cost that former scholarship recipients who carried out unpaid internships must face to recapture those years for their retirement. This was announced by the two majority union centers (UGT and CCOO) on Monday afternoon, hours after meeting with representatives of the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration.
With the new proposal, former scholarship holders who wish to obtain contributions They will have to pay an amount that ranges between 40 and 140 euros for each month they want to regularize. The figures are linked to the minimum contribution bases that were in force between 1980 and 2006. The final amount that each interested party will have to pay will depend on their particular case and the date on which they carried out the internships that they want to recover.
The new proposal implies a reduction of between 86 and 52% compared to the initial approach of Social Security. The initial intention of the ministry headed by Elma Saiz was to use the minimum base for the year 2024 as a starting point to calculate the price of each month that they wanted to regularize. A large amount that involved the disbursement of more than 17,000 euros to regularize five years of unpaid internships. This was reflected in the ministerial order that regulates this repechage system that will come into force on June 1.
![photographer: Jorge Paris Hernandez [[[PREVISIONES 20M]]]topic: Interview Inés Antón, scientist who wants to have her years of scholarship recognized for retirement.](https://imagenes.20minutos.es/uploads/imagenes/2024/05/16/fotografo-jorge-paris-hernandez-previsiones-20m-tema-entrevista-ines-anton-cientifica-que-quiere-que-se-le-reconozcan-los-anos-de-becaria-para-la-jubilacion-2.jpeg)
Instead, The reference to calculate the ‘purchase’ cost will now be the minimum base that was in force in the month in which you want to redeem, a demand that researchers and unions had put on the table. This system is the same one that was used in the previous regularization of contributions to former scholarship recipients, carried out in 2011 and in which up to two years could be repeated.
The cost of raising contributions was the main point of contention between Social Security and unions, but not the only one. The two parties have also agreed that the limit of five years of contributions that can be ‘purchased’ at most also applies to those who already made contributions in 2011.
So, The theoretical maximum that can be regularized would now be seven years. In addition, the union centers have proposed that those who decided not to buy the two years in 2011 can do so now. However, this possibility can only be realized with a norm with the force of law, something that does not seem to be happening in the short term. The Executive has committed to studying it.
Another point that appears in the agreement is that the deadlines for signing the special agreement to benefit from the regularization be extended until December 31, 2028. In the ministerial order already published and which will come into force in five days, the maximum limit set is two years. Likewise, the possibility of dividing payments of contributions that are to be regularized up to a maximum of seven years is established.
Unions recommend waiting for the new text
The pre-agreement that the Government and unions reached this Monday has not yet been reflected in a text. We will have to wait for this to be confirmed and materialized in a new ministerial order drafted by the ministry headed by Elma Saiz. The problem is that the previous ministerial order, which has generated so much rejection, will come into force on June 1.
As the new ministerial order that will amend the first is not expected to be ready by that date, The unions call for those interested in regularizing contributions for past practices to wait for a new text in force. CCOO and UGT have proposed to Social Security that this wait be facilitated for those who may have to access retirement on the dates on which the new order will not yet be published.
