Aid and loan relief proposed for the 2024 DANA flood victims

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1. The bill would provide aid of 72,000 euros for death or disability, and up to 60,480 euros for total destruction of a primary home, with a two-month application period from publication in the official state gazette.
2. The bill would give direct aid to affected self-employed workers and businesses: 5,000 euros for the self-employed and between 10,000 and 150,000 euros for companies, depending on their 2023 turnover. Applications would be filed on the Tax Agency's electronic office between November 19 and December 31, 2024.
3. The bill would grant exemptions and reductions in the 2024 property tax and business activity tax for damaged properties and premises, with refunds of amounts already paid, plus waivers of ID card and traffic authority fees.
4. The bill would extend tax filing and payment deadlines to January 30, 2025, and allow tax debts to be deferred for 24 months with no late-payment interest during the first six months.
5. The bill would exempt companies with temporary layoff plans from 100 percent of the employer's Social Security contributions, and allow deferrals or interest-free payment holidays of up to one year for contributions.
6. The bill would let self-employed workers who stop working because of the DANA claim the cessation-of-activity benefit without proving force majeure or a minimum contribution period, and would treat DANA-related disabilities and pensions as workplace accidents for payment purposes.
7. The bill would create a state guarantee line of up to 5 billion euros and a legal moratorium suspending payments on affected loans and credits, with or without a mortgage: three months with no payments at all, then nine more months paying only interest.
8. The bill would protect consumers: suspension of withdrawal-period deadlines, the right to end contracts that cannot be performed or enjoyed without penalty, and the right to cancel transportation contracts at no cost.

Who it affects

• Families and people with damaged homes, belongings or vehicles in the municipalities listed in the annex.: They could receive financial aid, tax exemptions and loan payment holidays.
• Self-employed workers and businesses in the affected areas.: Direct aid, contribution exemptions, payment deferrals and access to state guarantees.
• Municipalities and other local entities.: Aid for emergency expenses and for repairing municipally or provincially owned infrastructure and services.
• Employees and their families.: Contribution exemptions if temporary layoff plans are approved, plus protection for unemployment, disability or death.
• Affected consumers and users.: Suspended deadlines and rights to end or defer contracts for goods, services, utilities and transportation.

Words worth knowing

DANA

Spanish acronym for an isolated high-level low-pressure system, a weather event that brings very heavy rain and flooding.

Franquicia (in the extraordinary risk insurance)

The portion of a loss the policyholder must pay out of pocket and the insurance does not cover. The bill would remove it for small and medium-sized businesses.

Expediente de regulación temporal de empleo (ERTE)

A temporary layoff plan that lets a company suspend or reduce its employees' work and wages for a while.

Moratoria

A temporary suspension of debt payments, here on loans and credits.

Derecho de desistimiento

The consumer's right to cancel a purchase or contract without giving a reason within a set period.

It summarizes the text as it was introduced. It is written by artificial intelligence and may contain mistakes: the official text is what counts. Read the official text · How we make summaries