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{{ANETextoEpigrafe|epigrafe=National Minimum Subsistence Income, Regional Minimum Income and Active Insertion Income}}

Spain was one of the EU states with the highest levels of inequality, poverty and social exclusion before the pandemic. Different reports pointed out this structural issue: indicators barely registered changes for decades, worsened after the Great Recession from 2008-2013 that led to reducing social spending, and deteriorated even more during the first year of pandemic. Over 9.5 million people were living in relative poverty in 2019, half of them in severe poverty. Spain is the fourth state in the European Union with the highest rate of severe poverty. The economic production model favours low wages as well as a labour market with a high level of temporary and precarious work. Furthermore, public policies related to housing, family support and care for vulnerable groups are weak. All these factors explain this situation, which nevertheless shows significant differences between regions.

The other main initiative of the national government was Royal Decree Law 20/2020, of 29 May, adopted by consensus at the National Parliament, which set a national Minimum Subsistence Income trying to promote social integration. In this case, a lack of coordination between administrations hindered the deployment of this policy. According to government estimates, this benefit could reach 850,000 households and over 2.3 million citizens; in particular, households with children. In fact, it was estimated that 30% of the 2.3 million potential beneficiaries were children. A higher incidence amongst single-parent households was also expected, which would account for 16% of beneficiaries, 90% of which would be led by a woman. From the perspective of the national government, this policy should have meant the eradication of extreme poverty, which would affect some 600,000 households and 1.6 million people. This policy would be compatible with wage income, included employment incentives, and set a wide variety of household types with incomes ranging from 5,538 to 12,184 euros per year.

The first balance on how the national Minimum Subsistence Income was implemented is shown on the different maps and graphs referring to the amount of Beneficiaries of the Minimum Subsistence Income and the applications processed from the start of the programme until March 2021. Two main conclusions may be drawn: beneficiaries are concentrated in the areas where poverty levels were highest and where the economic sectors were most affected by the pandemic; and the amount of beneficiaries barely reached a third of the 850,000 households expected (around 700,000 people out of 2.3 million to be reached).