The December pension and the Christmas bonus began to be paid to pensioners this Friday, December 5th, anticipating the usual calendar. According to Notícias ao Minuto, the change is due to the fact that the 8th, the normal processing date, coincides with the Immaculate Conception holiday, which led the Government to bring forward the deposit to before the long weekend.
The measure covers most Social Security pensioners. The beneficiaries of Caixa Geral de Aposentações had received the Christmas subsidy in conjunction with the retirement on November 19, according to the publication. This annual change is recurring whenever the 8th coincides with a holiday or weekend, ensuring that payments are processed without delays.
When payments are made
The Ministry of Labor and Social Security explained, cited by Notícias ao Minuto, that the anticipation aims to avoid constraints during the holiday and ensure that all pensioners receive their pension and Christmas allowance within the usual deadline. The executive highlighted that the advance guarantees that the subsidy arrives before the long weekend, allowing greater predictability in family expenses at this time of year.
Social Security, remember, normally pays the pension on the eighth day of each month. Whenever this date coincides with a national holiday, payment is carried over to the last working day before, as happened now.
What changes in pensions in 2026
With the year about to end, the accounts for 2026 are also beginning to be finalized. According to Notícias ao Minuto, the majority of pensioners should see their pension increase by around 2.8%, as a result of the application of the legal formula that combines inflation and economic growth.
The average inflation for the last 12 months, excluding housing, released by the National Statistics Institute, was 2.27%. This indicator, combined with the evolution of the Gross Domestic Product over the previous two years, makes it possible to calculate the automatic increase in pensions, which varies by scale.
The impact by pension level
DECO PROteste clarified that, if the values are confirmed, the social support index will increase from 522.50 euros in 2025 to 537.13 euros in 2026. With this update, the estimated increases will be as follows:
Pensions equal to or less than 1,074.26 euros:
- Expected increase of 2.8%.
Pensions between 1,074.26 and 3,222.78 euros:
Pensions between 3,222.78 and 6,445.56 euros:
The organization remembers, however, that these values will only be closed in mid-December, when the last data necessary to apply the legal formula is confirmed.
An update that arrives to compensate?
The Government has argued that compliance with the formula guarantees predictability and sustainability to the system, in a year marked by budgetary pressures and demographic aging. As explained by , the update should cover around 90% of pensioners, with the most significant increases continuing to be concentrated in the lowest pensions.
Meanwhile, the early payment of the December pension and Christmas allowance offers some immediate relief, especially at a time of greater financial pressure for many pensioners.
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