A business in Ibiza's Es Pratet neighbourhood says it was forced to pay for extensive repairs following last year's floods after the financial assistance it expected was ultimately denied.

Carmen Cárcel, president of the Es Pratet Neighbourhood Association, says her business initially appeared to have been approved for aid following the severe weather that affected Ibiza in September and October 2025. A year later, she says the assistance had been denied and that she had been left to cover the cost of the repairs herself.

Her case comes as the wider administrative process for government assistance to people and businesses affected by the storms remains ongoing.

Repairs Paid From the Business's Own Pocket

Cárcel says the damage left the business needing significant work before it could reopen.

Asked how the repairs were financed while the aid decision remained unresolved, she said they were paid for "from our own pocket".

She listed the work and equipment required, including cameras, machinery, building work, plumbing, electrical work, painting and new counters.

She also said that insurance had covered part of the losses, but described the amount as only a small proportion of the total damage.

Aid Initially Appeared to Be Approved

According to Cárcel, the situation became complicated after the initial stage of the aid process.

She says the assistance initially appeared to have been accepted and that the decision had been published officially. She later learned that the aid would not be paid.

Cárcel said she was unable to identify precisely what caused the change, referring to the possibility of an audit or new rules but acknowledging that she did not know exactly what had happened.

She has since filed an appeal against the denial.

"I don't have any hope of collecting," she said, while explaining that she nevertheless wanted to continue with the appeal as a way of challenging the decision.

A Wider Aid Programme Remains Open

The individual case should be viewed within the wider programme established following the severe weather that affected Ibiza in autumn 2025.

The Balearic Government approved a €5 million contribution for assistance administered through the Consell de Ibiza. The programme covers damage caused by former Hurricane Gabrielle, which affected Ibiza between September 29 and October 3, 2025, and DANA Alice, which affected the island between October 8 and 15.

The aid framework covers a range of affected properties and activities, including homes, commercial and tourist establishments, agricultural and livestock operations, vehicles and essential household goods.

The measures apply across Ibiza's five municipalities: Ibiza Town, Sant Josep de sa Talaia, Sant Antoni de Portmany, Santa Eulària des Riu and Sant Joan de Labritja.

Administrative Difficulties Delayed the Process

The regional government acknowledged in September that the processing of the aid applications had encountered administrative and technical difficulties.

According to the official explanation, there were differences between the services of Industry and Intervention over the interpretation and application of the rules governing the grants. The criteria therefore had to be reviewed and coordinated, affecting the timetable for processing and justifying the assistance.

The deadline for the Consell de Ibiza to submit the required documentation was subsequently extended from August 31 to November 30, 2026.

This means that the overall aid programme has not simply ended without payments. The administration is still completing the processing and justification of the grants.

Insurance Payments Have Also Reached Thousands of Affected People

Government aid is separate from compensation paid through the Consorcio de Compensación de Seguros.

According to figures reported in February, the Consorcio had paid €21.78 million to 2,854 individuals and businesses affected by the flooding, representing around 80% of the claims recorded at that point. A total of 3,568 claims had been admitted across Ibiza and Formentera.

The claims included damage to homes, vehicles and businesses, with 538 relating to small businesses.

These figures demonstrate why it would be inaccurate to suggest that no financial assistance has reached people affected by the storms. At the same time, individual cases such as that of Cárcel show that some affected businesses continue to dispute their eligibility or the amount of assistance they have received.

One Year Later

For Cárcel and others in Es Pratet, the anniversary of the flooding has therefore brought renewed frustration over the length and complexity of the recovery process.

Her experience is a specific case involving a disputed aid application, rather than evidence that all of the assistance promised after the storms has been denied.

With the administrative deadline now extended to November 30, 2026, the processing of the wider aid programme remains ongoing.