What this letter is
It’s the resolución (decision) of the Instituto Nacional de la Seguridad Social (INSS) deciding whether you have an incapacidad permanente (permanent disability) and to what degree. It comes after you’ve been seen by the Equipo de Valoración de Incapacidades (EVI) (disability assessment team), the medical board. It may grant you a degree, refuse it or, if you already received a pension, change it after a review. The amount and degree depend on what it says, so it’s worth reading carefully.
How to read it: the key parts
| What you see in the decision | What it means |
|---|---|
| Dirección Provincial del INSS (INSS provincial office) | Who decides and where you file your challenge. |
| Nº de expediente (case number) | Your case reference. Always use it. |
| Grado: parcial, total, absoluta o gran incapacidad (degree) | What you’ve been granted. If it says «no afecto de incapacidad permanente» (not affected by permanent disability), it’s a refusal. |
| Contingencia: enfermedad común, accidente no laboral, accidente de trabajo o enfermedad profesional (cause: common illness, non-work accident, work accident or occupational disease) | The origin. It affects the calculation and the contribution requirements. |
| Base reguladora and porcentaje (calculation base and percentage) | Your pension is calculated with these: 55 % (total), 100 % (absoluta). |
| Fecha de efectos (effective date) | From when you get paid. |
| Plazo para instar la revisión (date to request a review) | From what date a review for worsening or improvement can be requested. |
| Pie de recursos (appeals footer) | Deadline and body for the reclamación previa. |
The four degrees, in brief:
- Parcial: you lose at least 33 % of your performance in your profession. You get a one-off payment, not a pension.
- Total: you can’t do your usual profession but can do another. Pension of 55 % of the base reguladora, plus 20 % from age 55 if it’s presumed hard to find another job.
- Absoluta: you can’t work in any profession. 100 % pension.
- Gran incapacidad: you also need another person’s help for basic activities. Pension plus a supplement to pay whoever cares for you.
What deadline you have
- Reclamación previa: 30 days from the day after notification (art. 71 of Ley 36/2011).
- The INSS must answer within 45 days. If it doesn’t, it’s deemed rejected.
- Claim at the Juzgado de lo Social: 30 days from the negative answer or from when the 45 days pass with no answer.
- If you’re an employee and you’re granted total, absoluta or gran incapacidad: you have 10 calendar days from notification to tell your employer in writing that you want to keep working.
Example: you receive the decision on Monday 5 October. The 30 days start on Tuesday 6. Don’t leave it to the last day.
What you can do
| Option | When it makes sense | What happens next |
|---|---|---|
| Accept it | If the degree and amount are correct | You start being paid from the effective date. |
| Reclamación previa | If you’re refused or given a lower degree than you think you should | The INSS reviews; then the labour court. |
| Check the calculation | If the base reguladora or the contingencia don’t add up | You can include it in the reclamación previa. |
| Talk to your employer | If you want to keep your job | The employer has 3 months to adapt it or move you. |
| Request a review later | If you get worse later | From the date stated in the decision. |
What happens if you do nothing
- The decision becomes firme (final) and you can no longer challenge it this way.
- If you’re refused and don’t challenge it, you’d have to start a new application.
- If you have a contract and say nothing to your employer within the 10 days, they can terminate it.
- If you’re granted the degree, you’ll be paid as the decision says, even if the calculation has errors.
Common mistakes
- Confusing incapacidad permanente with incapacidad temporal (sick leave): they are different benefits.
- Challenging it without providing new or complete medical reports.
- Letting the 30 days pass while waiting for a medical appointment.
- Not checking the contingencia: a work accident treated as a common illness changes the amount.
- Starting work without checking whether it’s compatible with your degree.
How to respond step by step
- Read the degree, the amount and the notification date.
- Ask for a copy of the case file and the EVI report if you don’t have it.
- Gather recent medical reports from your doctor and specialists.
- File the reclamación previa on the Seguridad Social online portal with Cl@ve, a digital certificate or electronic DNI, or at a registry or CAISS (Social Security service centre) by appointment.
- Keep the receipt with the filing date.
Expediente n.º [número]. D./D.ª [nombre], DNI/NIE [número], presento reclamación previa contra la resolución de incapacidad permanente notificada el [fecha], porque [motivo: mis lesiones me impiden cualquier trabajo / la base reguladora no es correcta]. Adjunto [informes]. Solicito que se me reconozca la incapacidad permanente en grado de [grado].
Translation: Case no. [number]. [Name], DNI/NIE [number], I file a prior claim against the permanent disability decision notified on [date], because [reason: my injuries prevent me from doing any work / the calculation base is wrong]. I attach [reports]. I request recognition of permanent disability at the [degree] degree.
Cartamiga tip: before challenging it, compare the limitations described in the EVI report with your medical reports. If any condition is missing, that’s the clearest basis for your claim.