Review of extraordinary benefits for cessation of activity that were recognized during the COVID-19 pandemic

From March 2020 to the beginning of 2022, several urgent and extraordinary measures came into force to address the economic and social impact of COVID-19, including a series of extraordinary aid and benefits for cessation of activity (hereinafter,CATA.COVID-19) intended for self-employed people who were forced to suspend their activity due to the declaration of the state of alarm, or who had experienced a significant reduction in the billing they had been having.

It is worth remembering that these aids and benefits were created and adapted over time according to the needs and reality that was experienced at all times. In this sense there were even seven packages of measures, each of them associated with a Royal Decree-Law in which the different aid and benefits that came into force were regulated.

Due to the urgency and need to deliver these benefits to the homes of people who need them, a provisional recognition of them was carried out, making the final recognition subject to a subsequent review by the Mutual Funds Collaborating with Social Security.

Once all preventive measures related to the health crisis situation derived from COVID-19 have been completed, at Fraternidad-Muprespa we have begun the gradual review of these different CATA.COVID-19 benefits that were provisionally recognized.

These reviews will be carried out by campaigns, associating each one with the benefits that were regulated in each of the packages of measures or Royal Decree-Laws that came into force.

In each of the campaigns, the review of CATA.COVID-19 benefits will be carried out by verifying two scenarios: on the one hand, compliance with the access requirements and, on the other, verification of the amounts paid. If any incident arises during these verifications, a letter will be sent to the beneficiary of the reviewed benefit with the subject: “hearing procedure” in which the incidents detected will be detailed and a period of 15 business days will be granted (that is, not counting Saturdays, Sundays or holidays) to be able to make allegations and/or provide all documentation that is considered to clarify or correct the incidents detected.

Once this period has passed, a final resolution will be issued with the information that has been collected and is in the file of the benefit under review. These resolutions may be of three types:

a) Resolution that elevates the provisional agreement to final: It will be issued when doubts have been clarified during the review of the benefit, no incident has been detected and it is declared that the benefits paid have been considered correct and definitive.

b) Resolution that annuls the provisional agreement: It will be issued when, during the review of the benefit, incidents have been detected that prevent access to the benefit and that have not been corrected or sufficiently justified by documentation during the hearing process. In these cases, the benefits paid will be declared as unduly received and will be claimed in their entirety.

c) Resolution that modifies the provisional agreement: It will be issued when, during the review of the benefit, compliance with the requirements for access to it has been verified, but incidents have been detected in the total amount of the benefit paid and these differences have not been clarified during the hearing process. In these cases, the right to access the benefit will be recognized, but the differences in the excess of the benefits paid will be claimed.