This report provides an assessment of the existing social benefit system in Portugal alongside suggested detailed reform scenarios that would improve this system. This work is the culmination of project which provided technical assistance to Portugal to work towards a unified social benefit, funded by the European Commission.
The report was prepared by analysts in the OECD’s Directorate for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs.
The OECD is very grateful to numerous officials in the Portuguese Ministry of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security and the Directorate General for Social Security (DGSS) – particularly Maria Dolores Projecto (Advisor, DGSS), Mário Rui Gonçalves (Advisor, DGSS), and Maria Conceição Sousa (Advisor, DGSS). The report benefited from discussions with a wide range of experts and officials during the OECD missions to Lisbon in October 2023 and December 2023.
This document was funded by the European Union via the Technical Support Instrument, and implemented by OECD, in co‑operation with the European Commission. The opinions and views expressed and arguments employed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official views or opinions of the Portuguese Government, the European Union or its member countries. This report is the result of the project “Study to support a reform towards a unified social benefit”.
Results presented here, where identified, are based on EUROMOD version 3.7.10 (model J1.0+). EUROMOD is maintained, developed and managed by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission, in collaboration with Eurostat and national teams from the EU countries. We are indebted to the Institute for Social and Economic Research (ISER) and to the many people who have contributed to the development of the model. The model data is from 2023 and relates to benefit income in 2022. Results were calibrated to match benefit expenditures in 2023 and also uprated in line with earnings growth and benefit changes to the year 2024. The results and their interpretation are the authors’ responsibility.
Reference Grant: DG REFORM/IM2023/007.