What happens at a social services assessment (valoración)

Key rules

• Informe social: Ask for it at the social services centre for your registered address.
• Timing: A referral can take days or weeks; benefit decisions often take months.
• Interpreter: Ask for one when you book, because it is not guaranteed everywhere.
• Follow-up: The assessment is the start: expect an agreed plan and review appointments.

What a valoración is

A valoración is an assessment by a social worker (trabajador/a social) at your public primary social services centre. The social worker listens to your situation, decides what help fits and points you to it. It is the usual first step before benefits such as emergency aid or regional minimum income.

The steps

Expect these stages, in this order. Details vary by region.

1. Intake and interview. The social worker collects your personal data and your documents. The checklist below lists what to bring.
2. Assessment of your situation. They look at income, housing, health, family and your support network. Sometimes this includes a home visit.
3. Social diagnosis. The social worker forms a professional view of what you need.
4. Intervention plan. You agree objectives and resources together.
5. Referral and follow-up. You are sent to benefits or services, and the case is monitored.

The report you may get

The assessment can produce an informe social. This is a written report that sets out your social situation. Many procedures ask for it, including emergency aid, regional minimum income, the dependency procedure, subsidised housing or social rent, and arraigo social for a residence permit. Which procedures need it, and its format, vary by region and body.

Ask for it at the centre that covers your registered address. The documents block below says more.

How long it takes

The first appointment is only the start. A referral and an informe social can often be issued within days or a few weeks. Decisions on benefits such as emergency aid or regional income often take one to several months. Each region sets the legal maximum for its benefits, so ask the centre for the limit that applies to yours. The timeline below shows the order of events.

What happens afterwards

The social worker keeps your case open. Follow-up can include:

• referrals to specialised services, NGOs, employment or housing resources;
• help applying for benefits;
• review appointments every few weeks or months.

If you receive a regional income scheme, you normally must follow an inclusion plan with periodic reviews. Your case may be closed once your objectives are met.

Language support

Interpretation is not guaranteed at every centre. Some large cities and regions provide an interpreter or intercultural mediator, through staff, contracted services, NGOs or telephone interpreting. Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Catalonia are examples. Ask for it when you request the appointment. If the centre cannot offer it, many people bring a friend or an NGO interpreter.

Timeline and deadlines

• Get your referral and, if needed, your informe social: within days or a few weeks of your first appointment

• Wait for a decision on a benefit such as emergency aid or regional income: one to several months after you apply

• Ask the centre for the legal maximum decision time for your benefit: when you apply, because each region sets its own

Timing varies by place and benefit. Check the current timing with your local social services centre.

Documents you need

• Informe social: a report written by the social worker at the public primary social services centre for the address where you are registered. Ask for it when a benefit or procedure requires it.

What to bring to your social services appointment

• Bring your ID: DNI, NIE, residence card or passport.

• Bring your padrón certificate (volante de empadronamiento), the proof that you are registered at a town hall address.

• Gather proof of income for everyone in your household: payslips, benefit certificates, or a signed declaration that you have no income.

• Bring bank statements or a certificate from your bank showing the accounts you hold.

• Bring your rental contract, plus proof of unpaid rent or your utility bills if you are asking for help with those costs.

• Bring your family book (libro de familia) or other proof of who lives in your household.

• Add any papers that apply to your case: a court judgement, a medical report or a copy of an eviction notice.

• Check your job-seeker and social security status with the public employment service (SEPE) and Seguridad Social, because the social worker may ask for it.

• If you have no padrón, show your passport or foreign ID and ask the social worker which other proof they accept. Options include a report from an NGO or shelter, a signed declaration of your circumstances (declaración responsable) or an address statement.

• If you have no fixed address, ask whether the town hall can register you at the social services address, which can then open up aid.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get an interpreter at my social services assessment?

Some centres offer an interpreter, but not every centre does. Ask when you book the appointment, because large cities and regions such as Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Catalonia often provide interpreting or intercultural mediation.

What does the informe social unlock?

The informe social, the report your social worker writes about your situation, is often needed for emergency aid, regional minimum income, the dependency procedure, subsidised housing or social rent, and arraigo social (a residence permit based on social roots). Some court procedures ask for it too. Ask the social worker which of your applications needs one.

What happens after the assessment is finished?

Your social worker keeps your case open and agrees an intervention plan with you. It can include referrals to specialised services, NGOs, or job and housing resources, help applying for benefits, and review appointments every few weeks or months.