How much you pay towards state-arranged care (copago)

Terms used

• Copago — The copago is the share of a care service's cost that you pay yourself.
• Capacidad económica — Your capacidad económica is your financial capacity: your income plus a percentage of your assets.
• Patrimonio — Your patrimonio is the assets you own, such as savings and property.
• IPREM — The IPREM is a national reference income figure used to set thresholds for many public benefits.

Key rules

• Who decides: Your region sets your contribution, so the amount can differ from one region to another.
• Main home: The home you live in is not counted as an asset.
• Other assets: Savings and property that is not your main home do count, at a percentage of their value.
• Low capacity: If your capacidad económica is low enough, you often pay nothing.

The short answer

You pay a share of the cost of the service, and your region decides how big that share is. The share depends on the type and cost of the service and on your capacidad económica. Rules differ in each region, so the same person can pay different amounts in different places.

What goes into the calculation

Your capacidad económica combines two things:

• Income. All of it counts.
• Assets (patrimonio). Part of their value counts, as a percentage. That percentage is set by rules that vary by region. It tends to be lower for older people.

Your main home is left out of the assets counted, as long as you live in it. A second property and your savings do count.

How the amount is set

The administration sets a share of the reference cost of the service, and you pay that share. A minimum income is protected for your personal needs. That minimum is tied to the IPREM, a national benchmark figure used for many public benefits.

If your capacidad económica is below a set multiple of the IPREM, you pay nothing in many cases. The multiple and the percentages differ by region and are updated over time.

What to do

1. Gather proof of your income, savings and any property you own besides your home.
2. Ask your regional social services office for the current thresholds and percentages, and for an estimate for the service you are offered.
3. Check the estimate against your own figures before you accept a service.

The questions below cover the home, the assets and paying nothing.

Frequently asked questions

Does my own home count when the copago is calculated?

No, your main home is left out of the assets counted when you live in it. Other property that is not your main home does count. Savings count too.

How much of my assets count towards my contribution?

Only a percentage of your assets' value counts, and that percentage varies with age. It tends to be lower for older people. Your income, by contrast, is counted in full, and each region sets its own percentages.

Can I pay nothing towards state-arranged care?

Yes, in many cases you pay nothing if your economic capacity is below a set multiple of the IPREM, a national reference income figure. The exact multiple depends on your region.