A self-employed, self-employed worker, has recognized social benefits when entering the RETA Social Security plan, similar to those registered in the General Scheme.
The payment of the self-employed contribution to Social Security entails a series of advantages for the worker, ranging from health care to maternity or paternity leave.
This coverage in social or labor aspects is different from that of a person who contributes as an employee. The INSS plan for self-employed workers is different for some and for others.
A self-employed person contributes to the concepts of common contingencies, professional, cessation of activity and training and improvement activities.
It is important to be clear about the concepts that appear in someone’s contributions, whether they are an employer or not, in order to calculate, for example, the future retirement pension. All these particularities of self-employed workers are included in their specific Regime.
Advantages of registering as a freelancer in the RETA
Enrolling in the RETA Social Security Plan has a number of advantages. The self-employed person is entitled to all of them as soon as he is aware of the payment of all fees.
It must be remembered that these positive aspects are important for the employee who decides to start and run his own business, as they ensure important aspects such as free healthcare.
Cessation of activity of the self-employed
Like any employee hired by a company, the self-employed are entitled to unemployment benefit when they are forced to close the business, which is called cessation of activity. The requirements are to be registered with the Social Security RETA and have all the payments up to date.
To be entitled to collect the cessation of activity, the seniority in the contributions must be one year (12 months) and the cause, economic, technical, production reasons, or force majeure, among others.
This section includes the direct consequences derived from the Covid crisis in Spain. For this specific case, there are specific aids for self-employed workers due to cessation of activity.
As soon as the unemployed person begins to receive this benefit, he must sign an activity commitment. That is, to accept the job offers that SEPE presents, provided they are consistent with their experience and training characteristics.
Death and survival benefits
In this section are the orphan, widowhood and family pensions. As with any employed person, with Social Security contributions, the self-employed person is also entitled to receive this financial aid if he or she meets the application requirements.
In all these cases, he must be up to date with the payment of the RETA fees, as in the previous sections.
Financial aid for risk during pregnancy and lactation
Pregnant self-employed workers with a medical diagnosis of risk both during pregnancy and while breastfeeding have the right to receive the benefit for risk in pregnancy.
Likewise, all these benefits are derived from being up-to-date in the payment of fees to the INSS.
Retirement pension
Social Security also manages the retirement pension for this group of workers. In order to collect this benefit, the INSS takes into account only the months in which the self-employed has been registered in the Special Regime for Self-Employed Workers.
Permanent disability (IP)
The financial aid and the requirements to access the permanent disability pension are very similar to those that the INSS has for the self-employed. There are some minor differences when it comes to common contingencies.
Caring for sick minors
The worker who has minors sick with cancer in charge will also have this contingency covered. Again, it should be noted that it is included within the benefits covered by the Special Regime for Self-Employed Workers (RETA).
New aid for self-employed workers
Until May 31, the Government has a series of financial aid and benefits for self-employed workers whose businesses have had problems due to the health pandemic.
These aid for the self-employed promised by the Executive and which are in force until May 31, will serve to alleviate the consequences of the closures, time restrictions and limitations on mobility originated at the time the crisis began.
