Disbursement of social funds in Spain

 

Challenge

The Spanish government needed to issue more than 200,000 social welfare cards urgently during the COVID-19 pandemic. These cards were aimed at recipients of social benefits who, due to restrictions on movement and closure of social services, could not otherwise access the benefits they were previously receiving. 

 

Our involvement

Visa worked alongside Caixa Bank, regional governments, local governments and public institutions like Caritas Red Cross and Fundacion La Caixa to develop effective prepaid card programmes. 

Through leveraging Visa’s capabilities, the prepaid cards could be topped up periodically without the user having to complete any further procedures, and could also be set in such a way that they could only be used in certain outlets like supermarkets and pharmacies.

 

Outcome

Visa delivered over 200,000 cards as part of the welfare prepaid programmes. The prepaid cards can also be used without beneficiaries having to have a bank account, minimising the risk of financial exclusion.

Overall, these flexible and fast programmes provided a better experience for citizens and more control over financial spend for governments.