According to the Government, the State Budget for 2026 (OE2026) foresees “permanent pension increases”, with a global value of around 700 million euros, and rejects the idea that the announced measures are just specific support for pensioners. The confirmation comes after the Economic and Social Council (CES) argued that the next budget should prioritize structural increases over extraordinary or “ad hoc” aid.
According to the CES, “although extraordinary support may have an immediate effect on increasing the income of pensioners, aimed at mitigating periods of inflation or economic crisis, the State Budget must prioritize the structural increase in pensions”.
This position was expressed in the opinion issued on OE2026, where the organization highlights the need to guarantee predictability and sustainability in the purchasing power of retirees.
700 million euros in permanent increases
In response to the opinion, the Minister of the Presidency, António Leitão Amaro, stated that the Government approved “an additional expense of around 700 million euros for pensioners”, highlighting that part of this amount will be allocated to the permanent increase in pensions, while another part will reinforce the Solidarity Supplement for the Elderly (CSI), support aimed at those receiving lower pensions.
“This is a major effort aimed at a specific group and which generates permanent expenses, reinforcing the purchasing power of pensioners”, explained Leitão Amaro at the end of the Council of Ministers, adding that the objective is to ensure “a structural and socially fair increase”.
The minister also added that, gradually, the Executive will add around 40 euros per month to the lowest pensions.
And, if there is budgetary margin, “the Government will be available to provide additional supplements”, without compromising the public accounts for the next years.
The vision of the Economic and Social Council
For the CES, which analyzed the global impact of pensions on the budget, the total amount predicted for 2026 is 25,990.8 million euros, which represents a significant State expense.
In the opinion issued, the Council emphasizes that “pensions policies must guarantee predictability and financial sustainability, ensuring the dignity of pensioners and avoiding permanent dependence on separate political decisions”.
In summary, the organization argues that the Government’s measures should promote long-term stability, instead of depending on specific supplements, such as the extraordinary supplements granted in recent years.
Extraordinary support continues in 2025
Despite insisting on permanent increases, the Government confirmed that it will maintain the allocation of the extraordinary supplement to pensioners in 2025, in the same way as in previous years.
As in 2024, the supplement, paid in September, will be 100, 150 or 200 euros, depending on the value of the monthly pension. In 2024, support was granted to those who received up to 1,527.78 euros per month, a limit that rose this year to 1,567.50 euros.
António Leitão Amaro stated that this measure “works as an additional complement”, but that the focus is on permanently reinforcing the base pension values.
The priority: stability and intergenerational equity
The Minister of the Presidency also reinforced that the Executive’s policy follows a logic “of intergenerational balance and social justice”, by prioritizing regular increases that are consolidated over time, rather than specific support.
The objective, he explained, is to ensure that the system “preserves the purchasing power” of current pensioners without compromising sustainability for future generations.
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