Walter Finch
WORKERS living in Spain and commuting to their jobs in Gibraltar will continue to be able to claim benefits from the Spanish government for another two years.
A meeting of the Council of Ministers saw the decision to extend access to unemployment benefits for Spanish and British until December 31, 2026.
It has extended article 10 of the Royal Decree of December 29, 2020, which was designed to help the 15,000 Spaniards and Europeans who cross the border daily to work on the Rock.
The article stipulates that EU citizens who commute to Gibraltar on a daily basis to work but remain resident in Spain can still claim benefits from the Spanish government without having made Spanish social security contributions.
The stop-gap measure, last extended in 2022 until the end of this year, was intended to fill the gap until a comprehensive treaty can be agreed that would cover the rights and benefits of cross-border workers.
The announcement comes in light of the uncertainty surrounding the failure to reach such a post-Brexit treaty between Spain and the United Kingdom regarding Gibraltar.
The Council decided to renew the current arrangement just two weeks before it ends because to not do so ‘may cause harm to Spanish citizens and citizens of other Member States residing in Spain.’
The most recent high-level meeting in Brussels to thrash out a treaty in September ended in a stalemate, leaving both sides making preparations for a no-deal scenario.
