Unemployment Benefits and Travel Notification Policies
A woman has found herself in a precarious financial situation after failing to notify the Public State Employment Service (SEPE) about her nearly month-long trip to Morocco. As a result, she not only lost her unemployment benefits for that month but also incurred a substantial fine of €1,800. According to SEPE regulations, individuals receiving unemployment benefits are mandated to inform the agency if they plan to travel abroad for more than 15 days. This situation underscores the critical importance of adhering to the notification requirements established by the General Social Security Law, which categorizes international trips into three distinct types: journeys of up to 15 days (no notification required), trips ranging from 15 to 90 days (notification mandatory), and travels exceeding 90 days (which result in the forfeiture of benefits).
Details of the Case
In this particular instance, the woman traveled to Morocco from February 12 to March 8, 2022, without notifying the Spanish Public Service. Consequently, the Madrid High Court ruled that she must repay the €1,800 that she received during her absence, deeming that the funds were obtained improperly. The woman defended herself by claiming her original intention was to stay for only two weeks; however, she tested positive for COVID-19, which forced her to remain in Morocco until she received a negative result. Despite her explanation, SEPE imposed the fine and revoked her benefits due to her inability to substantiate her claim of having contracted the illness.
As reported by antena3.com.
