CaixaBank advances the payment of its clients’ unemployment benefits by seven days to 3 April

The financial institution adopts this measure to facilitate the payment of unemployment benefits to beneficiaries with a seven-day advance

• The bank's clients will not have to submit any additional information, as the funds will be deposited automatically for all those entitled to unemployment benefits and in the case that these benefits are recurring, that is, that they were already received last month. For new beneficiaries, payments will be carried out gradually as official entities submit the information required by the bank.
• This measure will help in achieving a gradual movement of clients that have to go to an ATM or a bank branch for cash withdrawals, as it occurred when CaixaBank advanced the pensions payments.
• CaixaBank, as part of its #ByYourSideNowMoreThanEver initiative, is supporting the measures taken by the Spanish authorities to curb the effects of COVID-19 on the family economy, as well as contributing to the healthcare measures implemented to limit the spread of the virus.

All CaixaBank clients entitled to unemployment benefits, and that received them last month, will have these funds available in their account on 3 April, which is seven days earlier than usual. This will not require any additional information from the recipient or entail administrative formalities and will be completed automatically thanks to the earlier preparations carried out by several teams appointed for this task by the bank, chaired by Jordi Gual and with Gonzalo Gortázar as its CEO.

The beneficiaries will be able to capitalise on these favourable conditions for the entire duration of this exceptional health situation. New beneficiaries will receive the funds once requisite information has been submitted by relevant authorities for the bank to proceed with the payment.

CaixaBank has adopted these measures to support the Spanish authorities in their effort to curb the negative economic effects of COVID-19, in this case, for the most vulnerable families, taking into account that most household bills are charged in the beginning of the month. Furthermore, these measures will also help to achieve a gradual movement of clients that have to go to an ATM or a bank branch for cash withdrawals, thus helping to deliver the healthcare measures taken to avoid the spread of the virus.

Visit bank branches in emergencies only

Financial institutions like CaixaBank are considered an essential service to the public and continue to provide services through their branch networks. Clients should only visit the bank in case of an emergency, with prior appointment and following the required protective measures. In any case, ATM use is recommended for cash withdrawals and any other operations.

Clients can also use the CaixaBankNow digital banking service, which is operating as usual, as well as credit cards. CaixaBank is present in 100% of Spanish cities with more than 10,000 inhabitants, in 94% of municipalities that exceed 5,000 inhabitants, and it is the only financial institution in 229 towns across the country.

By your side now more than ever

This new measure forms part of CaixaBank’s #ByYourSideNowMoreThanEver initiative launched to support its clients, shareholders, employees and society in general, as they face the coronavirus pandemic, with measures such as extended mortgage moratorium, advanced payment of pensions, rent payments waiver and € 25 billion in preauthorised loans for SMEs and self-employed workers.

Moreover, CaixaBank has joined the entities part of CECA (Spanish Confederation of Saving Banks) in not charging ATM fees while the state of alarm is in force and has implemented an increase of the amount for PIN-less contactless payments from €20 to €50, thus helping to avoid any contact with physical surfaces thanks to its contactless technology.