The Family Department of the City Council of Orihuela, currently governed by Vox, has announced a new financial aid scheme to promote natality. The aid amounts to one thousand euros for each birth, and in the case of multiple births, the amount will be granted for each child born. This initiative marks the first instance in which the local government has implemented financial support to encourage birth rates.

The grants will be available for children born between the first of January and the thirty-first of December two thousand and twenty-four. Applications can be submitted starting tomorrow, the twenty-first of October, and will remain open until the fourth of November. The council has allocated a maximum budget of seventy thousand euros from the two thousand and twenty-five expense budget under the category of benefit and assistance. This means that, excluding multiple births, a maximum of seventy families could benefit from the grants.

In order to qualify for this aid, applicants must meet specific criteria. These include being a Spanish citizen or a foreign national with legal residency in Spain, being at least eighteen years old at the start of the application period, and having a child born within the specified timeframe. Additionally, applicants must be registered as residents in Orihuela for at least three years prior to the application start date and must be registered at the time of grant approval. Furthermore, they must maintain an active bank account and be up to date on tax obligations and social security contributions.

According to Mari Carmen Portugal, the councillor for Family Affairs, these grants are designed to strengthen the commitment to Orihuela families by providing support during the initial moments after the birth of a child, solidifying the municipality’s reputation as a family-friendly locale. She emphasises the council’s desire to accompany families through “one of the most special moments of their lives”.