Portugal raises Solidarity Supplement for the Elderly to 720 euros in 2027

Benefit increase announced in Guarda

Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro announced on Thursday afternoon that the reference value for the Solidarity Supplement for the Elderly will rise by 50 euros in 2027. Speaking to reporters outside Guarda City Hall following a meeting of the Council of Ministers held in the city, Montenegro confirmed that the baseline figure will increase from 670 euros to 720 euros. The government broadcast the prime minister's remarks live through its official YouTube channel. Montenegro framed the policy update around the observance of the International Day of Older Persons, pointing to the initiative as part of an effort to build a more prosperous and fairer country.

The increase will be 50 euros and, therefore, the reference value will rise to 720 euros.

Trajectory and long-term targets

The upcoming revision marks the fourth time the current administration has updated the elderly benefit since taking office in April 2024. When the government was sworn in, the baseline value stood at approximately 550 euros before subsequent revisions lifted it to the current 670 euros. Under the government's official multi-year program, ministers have established a final target to raise the threshold to 870 euros by 2029. The CSI is a monthly support payment distributed by Social Security to low-income pensioners who have reached or exceeded the statutory retirement age for an old-age pension.

Budget schedule and presentation dates

The 50 euro increase will be formally written into the draft proposal for the 2027 State Budget, which the government intends to submit to the Assembly of the Republic. Montenegro stated during his press address that drafting teams are already very far along in preparing the broader financial plan. The prime minister added that the full content of the budget proposal will be presented to parliament and made public next week. The legal statutory deadline to deliver the budget document to lawmakers is Monday, 12 October. However, the Finance Minister previously indicated to opposition parties during preparatory discussions that the cabinet intends to submit the formal document on Friday, 9 October.

Political support in parliament

The budget proposal carrying the pension increase already has guaranteed political approval in parliament, even though its detailed financial measures have not yet been published. The main opposition Socialist Party (PS) announced that it will propose an abstention during the parliamentary vote on the fiscal package. This abstention, paired with the affirmative votes of the two coalition parties backing the executive, the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and CDS-PP, provides the numbers necessary for the legislation to advance. The secured parliamentary arithmetic removes the usual political uncertainty and legislative doubt typically associated with passing an annual national budget.

The State Budget will include the decision to increase, for the fourth time, the reference value of the Solidarity Supplement for the Elderly.