Portugal's government proposes 2-year residency rule for unified social benefit, Chega threatens to block

The negotiations

Portugal's centre-right government (PSD/CDS) submitted amendments on Tuesday to its bill creating the Prestação Social Única (PSU), a single benefit that would merge 13 existing social supports. The changes double the minimum legal residency period for non-EU citizens from one to two years, a step towards the five years demanded by Chega, whose votes may be decisive in Thursday's parliamentary ballot.

The principle is: whoever comes to Portugal should not receive subsidies before contributing. This is principle one. And this principle for us is really important. This has to be enshrined in the proposal for the single social benefit.

Ventura warned that Chega will reject the bill if the final text allows immigrants without a contribution record to access the PSU. The government has already ruled out the five-year contributory period, but the two-year residency clause is seen as an attempt to secure Chega's support.

Residency requirements

The original government draft required only one year of legal residence for nationals of third countries. The PSD/CDS amendment raises that to two years of "legal and effective residence", while also introducing cross-checking of data between public entities to verify eligibility. The text allows shorter periods or transitional protection for children, pregnant women, victims of domestic violence or human trafficking, and people with disabilities.

The Government is once again giving in to Chega.

Socialist deputy Miguel Cabrita accused the executive of aligning with the far right, and the PS has tabled its own amendments. Party leader José Luís Carneiro said the PS will support the PSU only if the government drops what he called its "inhumanity".

Disability and work obligations

Another flashpoint is the requirement for beneficiaries to perform "socially useful activity". The original bill exempted those with a certified disability of 80% or more, but applied the obligation to anyone with a disability of 60% or above. After an outcry, the PSD/CDS amendment now mandates an individual assessment for people with a disability between 60% and 79%.

For those who have health conditions and, therefore, are of working age, but who have a disability between 60% and 79%, that disability will be subject to an assessment. No one expects and no one wants people, for example, who are undergoing cancer treatment, to be subjected to solidarity activity.

The PS proposes a regime similar to the existing Rendimento Social de Inserção, where work obligations are adapted to the beneficiary's circumstances. Left-wing parties Livre, PCP and BE want to remove any mandatory work requirement and also oppose a whistleblower channel included in the bill.

Opposition positions

If the Government drops its inhumanity, I believe there are conditions for us to approve the single social benefit and meet the European commitment that Portugal has established.

Carneiro stressed that the PS will vote against if the government insists on what he described as punishing the most vulnerable. The Socialists also demand that the new benefit be no less favourable than the current framework and that asset limits for beneficiaries remain unchanged. Livre and IL have proposed transitional periods, while the PS wants the regulation to be issued by decree-law, subject to presidential promulgation.

What's next

The bill went to committee on 18 June without a general vote, after BE, PCP and former PS leader Pedro Nuno Santos voted against. The final vote in the Assembly of the Republic is scheduled for Thursday, 25 June. With the government lacking a majority, the outcome hinges on whether the PSD/CDS amendments can win over Chega without losing the PS, or vice versa.