Administrative Error — Pay It Yourself: Self-Employed Individual Repays €21,000

A resident of Asturias, registered as an autónomo (self-employed), is required to repay €21,309 to Social Security due to an administrative error: he was simultaneously receiving a disability pension and an unemployment subsidy for those over 52 — benefits that are incompatible.

Spanish courts make it clear: even if the mistake is on the part of the state, the responsibility for checking benefit compatibility falls on the recipient.

The lack of automatic cross-checks between government agencies and inconsistent regulations creates a legal trap that ensnares even those who trust the system.