The statement was made by PS deputy Miguel Cabrita during a parliamentary debate. Are these data correct? SIC Verifies.
During the regarding the creation of the Single Social Benefit (PSU), on June 12th, socialist deputy Miguel Cabrita criticized the changes proposed by the Government and stated that they come at a time when the number of beneficiaries of the Social Insertion Income (RSI) reaches decades’ lows.
Is the statement made by the deputy of the Socialist Party (PS) regarding the number of beneficiaries being “the lowest in the last 20 years”?
A PSUthe central theme of this debate in the Assembly of the Republic, is a benefit that aims to bring together several social benefits currently existing, including the Social Insertion Income, in a single support, and which has motivated several criticisms from the opposition.
“The Government does this, when the number of RSI beneficiaries is the lowest it has been in the last 20 years, which was not done even during the time of the troika”, said deputy Miguel Cabrita.
What do Social Security data show?
As Official Social Security statistics corroborate the socialist’s statement: not only the number of beneficiaries of the RSI – benefit created in 2003 to replace the old Guaranteed Minimum Income – is the lowest in the last two decadesas has been recorded a very significant downward trend.
Os of the Synthesis of statistical information from Social Security indicate that, in April 2026, there were , who receive an average monthly amount of 159.66 euros. In May (data released in the meantime), there were records of 155,666 beneficiaries who received an average monthly value of 159.89 euros.
It is a number very far from those recorded during the years of greater coverage of the provision. At the beginning of the 2010s, the RSI reached more than 400 thousand beneficiaries, having, in March 2010, reached the highest value ever: 404,604 beneficiaries who received an average monthly amount of 94.97 euros.
A reduction has been practically continuous over the last 14 yearsand it is necessary to go back to October 2005 to find such a low number of beneficiaries: there were, at the time, 149,910. Since then, the value has always been higher than the current one.
SIC Verifies that it is…
The statement made by socialist deputy Miguel Cabrita is supported by available data. Social Security statistics show that the number of Bolsa Família beneficiaries has effectively reached the lowest levels in the last 20 years, particularly since October 2005.
