Andalucía to change rules for large family status: this is what you need to know

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The regional government is also set to make changes relating to single-parent families

Europa Press

Malaga

Wednesday, 31 December 2025, 11:32

The social inclusion, youth, families and equality department of the Junta de Andalucía regional government is going to apply the maximum age to continue being a large family to the youngest child and not to the eldest child as it has been done until now.

This is the change introduced in the first final provision of the modification of Decree 172/2020 -on the recognition of the status of single-parent family in Andalucía - which regulates the procedure for the recognition of large family and its category, the issuance, renewal, modification and revocation of the title and the large family card. The deadline to present objections to this change is 14 January.

Sources from the regional government explained to Europa Press that, until now, the validity of the large family title depended on the age of the eldest child, so that when the child turned 26, the family was obliged to renew its large family status. Now, with the change it is proposed that the maximum age should apply not to the eldest child but to the youngest. In addition, it is the family's duty to communicate the non-fulfilment of the requirements to maintain the large family status.

In the decree on single-parent families, the Junta de Andalucía proposes to set the maximum age of children in single-parent families in Andalucía at 25, a condition that could also be acquired "in cases of forced temporary absence of one of the two parents that prevents them from exercising family responsibilities for a period of one year or more".

This is set out in the draft decree regulating the recognition of the status of single-parent families in Andalucía, consulted by Europa Press. The proposed regulation -which may undergo changes in the ongoing process- consists of 18 articles.

The aim of the decree is "the recognition and identification of single-parent families as a social group that requires special and differentiated attention in family social policies", emphasises the document, which is still in draft form. The department led by Loles López argues that this regulation "will bring with it an increase in the legal security of these families by having a title that accredits this status, valid throughout the region, especially in relation to the services that may correspond to them and the aid of which they may be beneficiaries, in the procedures of management and processing of benefits" by the different regional departments.

The Junta de Andalucía's proposal is to consider a single-parent family as the nucleus made up of a single parent and one or more descendants linked by birth, adoption, guardianship or permanent family foster care who are exclusively economically dependent on them. For the purposes of this regulation, the status of parent shall be equivalent to that of a parent who is in charge of the guardianship, custody or foster care of minors.

Single-parent family

A single-parent family shall be considered to be a family unit in which, although there are two parents, one of the following situations occurs: in the first place, that in which the parent who has sole custody of the children has not received the child support established in court or in the regulatory agreement for three consecutive or alternate months during the twelve months prior to the submission of the application, and provided that this support has been claimed in court by means of civil enforcement or criminal proceedings for non-payment of pensions.

Likewise, when the parent with dependents has suffered abandonment of the family by the other parent; when the parent with dependents has been a victim of gender violence by the other parent; in cases of forced temporary absence of one of the two parents that prevents him/her from exercising family responsibilities for a period of one year or more.

In order for the status of a single-parent family to be recognised and maintained, descendants must be "under 26 years of age". However, when the child has a degree of disability equal to or greater than 33 per cent or is unable to work, "this age limit will not be taken into account". Single-parent families will be recognised with a title that allows them to be officially accredited as such before any administration or public or private entity in the territorial scope of Andalucía, which will be issued, upon application and verification of the conditions that give them the right to it, by the competent regional ministry in matters of families.