Social Complement
Complemento social
Coverage
- Persons who qualify for an old age pension of the general social security scheme are provided with a supplement, the social complement, to ensure a minimum pension level.
Financing
- The social complement is part of the subsystem of solidarity (social aid or assistance), which is entirely tax-financed through transfers from the state budget (Orçamento do Estado) and by the earmarking (consignação) of tax revenues.
Administration
- The ‘Institute of Social Security’ (Instituto da Segurança Social, I.P.) manages this scheme; the payment of the benefits is managed by one of its services, i.e. the ‘National Pensions Centre’ (Centro Nacional de Pensões).
- The ‘Institute of Financial Management of Social Security’ (Instituto de Gestão Financeira da Segurança Social, I.P.) is in charge of the management of financial resources.
Qualifying Conditions
- The minimum requirements for an old age pension of the general social security scheme have to be fulfilled.
Benefits
- Benefit ensures a minimum pension level of the old age pension of the general social security scheme.
- It is a non-contributory benefit.
- Benefits top up the difference between an individual’s pension benefits received from the mentioned old age pension schemes and the minimum pension level.
- Minimum pension levels vary with contribution period. These are for 2020: EUR 275.30 (for up to 15 years); EUR 288.79 (for 15 to 20 years); EUR 318.67 (for 21 to 30 years); and EUR 398.34 (for 31 years and more).
Coverage
Financing
Administration
Qualifying Conditions
Benefits
- Persons who qualify for an old age pension of the general social security scheme are provided with a supplement, the social complement, to ensure a minimum pension level.
- The social complement is part of the subsystem of solidarity (social aid or assistance), which is entirely tax-financed through transfers from the state budget (Orçamento do Estado) and by the earmarking (consignação) of tax revenues.
- The ‘Institute of Social Security’ (Instituto da Segurança Social, I.P.) manages this scheme; the payment of the benefits is managed by one of its services, i.e. the ‘National Pensions Centre’ (Centro Nacional de Pensões).
- The ‘Institute of Financial Management of Social Security’ (Instituto de Gestão Financeira da Segurança Social, I.P.) is in charge of the management of financial resources.
- The minimum requirements for an old age pension of the general social security scheme have to be fulfilled.
- Benefit ensures a minimum pension level of the old age pension of the general social security scheme.
- It is a non-contributory benefit.
- Benefits top up the difference between an individual’s pension benefits received from the mentioned old age pension schemes and the minimum pension level.
- Minimum pension levels vary with contribution period. These are for 2020: EUR 275.30 (for up to 15 years); EUR 288.79 (for 15 to 20 years); EUR 318.67 (for 21 to 30 years); and EUR 398.34 (for 31 years and more).
Legal Basis: Decree-Law No. 187/2007, 10 May (Articles 44-47; 55/3/4/5); Regulation (Portaria) No. 28/2020, 31 January.