SEPE: The Servicio Público de Empleo Estatal
SEPE manages unemployment benefits, training programs, job search tools, and labour statistics. If you need to claim paro, apply for retraining, or get official proof that you’re out of work, SEPE is where you go.
During COVID, SEPE played a key role in managing support schemes. It handled payments for ERTEs (temporary furloughs for employees) and coordinated cese de actividad for autónomos – a kind of self-employed unemployment benefit.
Today, autónomos might deal with SEPE in a few specific situations:
If you have to close your business or lose income due to external factors, you can apply for cese de actividad, which SEPE helps process alongside your mutua (insurance provider).
You can also access training programs through SEPE – if you want to add skills or shift direction.
If you decide to stop freelancing and return to regular employment, SEPE handles that transition and any temporary support you might need.
It’s not the main agency autónomos deal with, but it’s still worth knowing how it works and what it can offer – especially if your situation changes.
