The Ministry of Labor assured this Tuesday, December 30th, that pensions for January 2026 will already be paid with the expected increases, contrary to what had been previously communicated. The increase in the Solidarity Supplement for the Elderly (CSI) will only be reflected from February onwards, with these pensioners being guaranteed retroactive payments to January.
According to the digital economic newspaper ECO, and according to the guardianship, the change was possible due to an “additional effort” by Social Security, allowing the update to be incorporated into the January processing. Initially, it had been explained that the new values would only enter in February, because pensions for that month must be processed in December.
January payments should take place on January 8th, with the amounts already revised, according to the information transmitted by the Government. The update results from the application of legal formulas that take inflation and economic growth into account.
Pension update: tiers and brakes
The ordinance published in Diário da República sets an increase of 2.80% for pensions up to 1,074.26 euros. It is at this level that “the vast majority” of old-age pensions are concentrated, as stated by the Minister of Labor, Rosário Palma Ramalho.
For pensions between 1,074.26 euros and 3,222.78 euros, the increase is 2.27%. Already above 3,222.78 euros, the expected update is 2.02%.
There is also a limit: pensions above 6,445.56 euros are, as a rule, not updated (with exceptions provided for by law). The same ordinance also defines minimum increase limits: at least 9.29 euros in many pensions in the first tier, 30.08 euros in the second and 73.16 euros in the third.
CSI rises to 670 euros per month, but only starts in February
In the case of the CSI, the Government maintains the gradual upward trajectory, with the ordinance setting the annual reference value at 8,040 euros, which corresponds to 670 euros per month. The measure takes effect on January 1, 2026, but the guardianship indicates that the impact on the payment for these pensioners will be felt from February, with retroactive effects.
The Solidarity Supplement for the Elderly is a monthly support aimed at elderly people (and also disability pensioners, under certain conditions) with low resources, to reinforce available income. The objective of the CSI, according to the official framework, is to combat poverty among elderly people with lower incomes.
In practice, the CSI works as a “complement”: the beneficiary’s relevant income is determined and compared with the reference value; the difference (if any) corresponds to the amount payable. Covered pensioners should see the new value adjusted in February, including the retroactive value for January.
What you should confirm at the beginning of the year
For pensioners, the first sign will be the receipt and the amount credited in January, which should already reflect the update percentage applicable to the pension scale. Payments and receipts can be consulted through Social Security channels.
In the case of the CSI, and according to , anyone who already receives it or who expects to receive it should take into account that the practical effect, according to the Government, only appears from February, despite the update taking effect from January 1, 2026. If there are doubts about eligibility or request, the information and access steps are available on official channels.
The updates for 2026 result from the indicators provided for in the law, GDP growth and inflation (CPI without housing), which the ordinance identifies as the basis for the calculation. The objective, according to the diploma, is to update pensions and other benefits from the system and the convergent regime (CGA), with percentages differentiated by scale.
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