The new Single Social Benefit was approved by the Government in the Council of Ministers and must now go to parliamentary discussion. The measure aims to bring together various non-contributory social supports into a single model, with the announced objective of simplifying access to benefits and reducing bureaucracy for beneficiaries and services.
According to the , the reform will consolidate 13 social supports, including the Social Insertion Income, the widow’s pension and the social unemployment benefit. The change also brings new obligations for some beneficiaries of working age, including the possibility of participating in social solidarity activities.
The 13 supports included in the new installment
The Single Social Benefit will replace 13 non-contributory social benefits. The list includes support aimed at very different situations, from old age and disability to parenthood, unemployment, widowhood, orphanhood and economic insufficiency. According to the advanced information, these are the supports covered:
- Social old-age pension;
- Special disability social pension;
- Widow’s pension;
- Orphan’s pension;
- Extraordinary complement of solidarity;
- Unemployment social benefit;
- Social Insertion Income;
- Social benefit for clinical risk during pregnancy;
- Social benefit for termination of pregnancy;
- Social benefit for adoption;
- Initial parental social benefit;
- Social benefit for needing to travel outside the island due to pregnancy;
- Social allowance for specific risks.
RSI and widow’s pension are included
Among the supports that stand out the most is the Social Insertion Income, one of the best-known social benefits in Portugal.
The widow’s pension and the orphan’s pension are also included in the new architecture of the Single Social Benefit. The same happens with social unemployment benefit and various social benefits linked to parenthood and pregnancy. The Government’s objective is to bring together currently dispersed benefits, with its own rules, into a system considered simpler and more coherent.
Who can receive the new benefit?
The Single Social Benefit is aimed at people aged 18 or over, residing in Portugal, in a situation of severe economic insufficiency. In the case of citizens of countries outside the European Union, a minimum period of residence of one year will be required.
The measure should maintain a logic of social protection aimed at people and households with low resources, but with harmonized rules to replace the current set of separate supports.
Beneficiaries may have new obligations
One of the main novelties of the reform is the obligations provided for beneficiaries of working age who are not working. According to the information disclosed, these beneficiaries may have to accept job offers considered appropriate, attend professional training, continue studies or demonstrate an active search for work through employment centers.
Furthermore, participation in social solidarity activities may be required, what the Prime Minister designated as “social solidarity activity”.
Up to 15 hours of social work per week
Covered beneficiaries may be required to perform up to 15 hours of social work per week. According to the Minister of Labor, Solidarity and Social Security, Maria do Rosário Palma Ramalho, these activities may take place with public entities, social and solidarity economy organizations or civil protection structures.
The governor gave concrete examples, saying that “support for a city hall activity, a festival, a cleaning action or other initiatives of community interest” could be at stake.
Who is left out of this obligation?
The obligation to participate in these activities does not apply to all beneficiaries. According to advanced information, pensioners, people unable to work, students and informal caregivers are excluded.
In other words, the social work component should focus mainly on working-age beneficiaries who are not employed and who have no recognized impediment to participating in these activities.
Failure to comply may lead to loss of benefit
The new regime provides for consequences for those who do not comply with the obligations associated with the benefit. Beneficiaries who refuse or do not fulfill defined activities or duties may lose support. This is one of the most delicate points of the reform, as it changes the relationship between social protection and compensation required from those who receive it.
The Government presents this component as a way of strengthening the link between social support, integration and community participation.
Solidarity Supplement for the Elderly is left out
Despite bringing together 13 supports, the Single Benefit will not integrate all social benefits. The Solidarity Supplement for the Elderly is excluded from the new measure. This support, aimed at elderly people with low incomes, will continue to have its own regime. The exclusion from the CSI is relevant because this benefit has specific rules and a very specific function in the social protection system for older people.
Government promises simplification
The creation of the Single Social Benefit has been presented as a reform aimed at simplifying the system. Currently, many supports have different rules, specific applications, different access conditions and evaluation criteria that may vary according to the provision. The Government wants to reduce this fragmentation. The promise is to make access simpler, avoid duplication and improve Social Security’s responsiveness.
What you still need to know
Despite approval by the Council of Ministers, the measure will still have to go through the Assembly of the Republic. Only during the parliamentary discussion should several practical details become clearer, such as the entry into force schedule, the transition rules, the benefit calculation method, the form of supervision and the way in which current beneficiaries will be protected. It will also be important to understand whether replacing support changes values, payment deadlines or registration procedures.
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