A citizen of Mallorca, Juan Pérez, has appealed the denial of free legal aid issued by the Free Legal Assistance Commission of Mallorca and has brought to the table the debate regarding the economic thresholds that determine who can access this service. Pérez, who has been granted a permanent total disability pension, has an annual gross income of 18,439.38 euros, an amount that the Administration has deemed sufficient to afford a lawyer, as it exceeds the established threshold of 18,000 euros.

Carmen showered with cold water all winter. She didn't have the money to buy a new water heater. At 54, she lost her job as a tourist information assistant when the Menorca Island Council privatized the service. She collected unemployment benefits and never found another job. Then she survived on a subsidy of 400 euros, which wasn't even enough to cover her rent. She gave tutoring lessons for five euros, structured as a part-time job. "I earned an extra 300 euros. I spent eight years fighting eviction," she confesses.

The average pension in the Balearic Islands reached €1,230.61 in December, representing an increase of just over 4.5% compared to the same month in 2024. However, it remains €87.10 below the national average. At the beginning of the last month of the year, there were almost 215,000 people in the Balearic Islands receiving some type of pension, 2% more than in 2024, according to figures released this Friday by the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration.