The Social Chamber of the High Court of Justice of Galicia has ordered a recipient to repay 7,200 euros received through Spain's Minimum Vital Income program. In sentence number 970/2026, issued on March 2, the court dismissed an appeal by a man who sought to close reimbursement proceedings for benefits collected during 2020 and 2021.
The decision followed a routine cross-referencing of records between the National Social Security Institute and the tax agency, known as Hacienda. Investigators found that the recipient's income during 2020 clearly exceeded the legal threshold established by law, meaning he no longer met the economic vulnerability condition required to receive financial support.
Legal requirements and continuous compliance
The tribunal rejected applying the Cakarevic doctrine in the case, ruling that the Minimum Vital Income is a dynamic benefit. The court argued that recipients must continuously satisfy eligibility criteria throughout the duration of the benefit, rather than only at the time of initial approval.
Judges stated that the managing agency made no error when initially granting the payments because it acted on information available at that time. The subsequent revocation and demand for repayment resulted from data matching with Hacienda, which functions as a statutory mechanism to ensure public aid reaches individuals who genuinely need it.
Good faith exception rejected
The ruling confirmed that the man cannot use the good faith exception to avoid returning the money. The court concluded that the overpayment resulted from a failure to meet ongoing maintenance requirements for the benefit, rather than an administrative mistake by the government.
