The family allowance refers to the amount paid monthly by Social Security and aims to assist and help families with basic expenses, such as food and education of children and young people in their care. But not all families are entitled to this help. Know, throughout this article, all the conditions.
Who is entitled to the family allowance and what is the amount?
The amount of the allowance is calculated according to several factors, such as the age of the child or young person, the household’s reference income (earnings scale) and its composition.
Therefore, the child or young person must correspond to points such as:
- Be under 16 years old. From this age on, only those who are studying or have a disability receive the allowance;
- Be a resident in Portugal or equivalent to a resident;
- Not to perform work activity, unless this corresponds to the employment contract during the school vacation period.
In addition, the income of the household in which they are inserted must fall within the values referenced by Social Security, and their movable assets must be equal to or less than 240 x IAS, on the date of application (applying the IAS in force on that date, and in 2023 the IAS is 480.43 euros).
We speak of movable assets when referring to bank accounts, shares, bonds, savings certificates, participation securities and participation units in collective investment institutions.
There are currently five income brackets, and families in the fifth bracket are not entitled to this aid. The limits/values of the levels are defined based on the IAS (Social Support Index).
Family allowance for children and young people (monthly amounts):
1st step
– 161.03 euros for children aged 3 years or less;
– 50 euros for children and young people over 3 years old.
2nd step
– 132.92 euros for children aged 3 years or less;
– 50 euros for children and young people over 3 years old.
3rd step
– 104.57 euros for children aged 3 years or less;
– 34.86 euros for children and young people aged over 3 years and less than or equal to 6 years;
– 30.09 euros for children and young people over 6 years old.
4th step
– 62.75 euros for children aged 3 years or less;
– 20.91 euros for children and young people aged over 3 years and less than 6 years.
In the 4th step, children and young people over the age of 6 are not entitled to the allowance.
Young people cannot accumulate family allowance with unemployment subsidy, social unemployment subsidy, social pension and parental subsidy.
Majority in large or single-parent families
An increase in the family allowance is granted, that is, a bonus that is added to the base amount and which is paid together with the allowance, to families in which there are two or more children up to the age of 3 or in single-parent families.
Families with two or more children
In households of large families, with children aged 36 months or less, the monthly amounts of the allowance increase are:
- Household with two children:
- 1st income bracket – 40.25 euros
- 2nd income bracket – 33.24 euros
- 3rd income bracket – 30.09 euros
- 4th income bracket – 15.69 euros
Household with more than two children:
- 1st income bracket – 80.51 euros
- 2nd income bracket – 66.47 euros
- 3rd income bracket – 60.18 euros
- 4th income bracket – 31.38 euros
Single parent families
In single-parent families, that is, families in which the child or young person lives with a single adult, are entitled to receive more:
50% of the amount of the family allowance for the 1st step
42.5% of the amount of the family allowance for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th tier
Disability benefits
New amounts were also established for disability and dependency benefits. Thus, in case of disability, the value increases to 67.71 euros for children and young people up to 14 years old, 98.63 euros for young people between 14 and 18 years old and 132.01 euros for holders between 18 and 24 years old .
But what level do I belong to anyway?
To find out which is your scale, you must calculate your family’s reference income, because it is the household’s reference income that determines the family allowance scale.
Start by adding up the gross annual income of all the members of your household obtained in the year before applying for child benefit. Then, divide the result of the sum by the number of children and young people entitled to family allowance, in your household, plus one. The value obtained corresponds to the reference yield. Finally, check which of the family allowance brackets the reference income belongs to.
Every year, Social Security unofficially performs the annual proof of income, which is mandatory to determine the family allowance scale in which the household falls. The test is done until October 31, through the exchange of information between the Social Security services and the Tax Administration. These accounts also include the value of other installments paid by the entity.
Know that you can request a reassessment of the scale whenever there is a change in income or in the composition of the household.
Until when is it possible to receive the allowance?
As previously mentioned, young people are entitled to family allowances up to the age of 16. After that age, the benefit is only paid if the young person is studying or attending a curricular internship that is essential for obtaining the respective diploma:
- from 16 to 18 years old, enrolled in basic education, equivalent or at a subsequent level, or attending an internship at the end of the course, essential for obtaining the respective diploma;
- from 18 to 21 years old, enrolled in secondary education, equivalent or at a subsequent level, or attending a curricular internship essential for obtaining the respective diploma;
- from 21 to 24 years old, enrolled in higher education, or equivalent, or attending a curricular internship essential for obtaining the respective diploma;
- up to 24 years old, in the case of disabled people.
Disabled young people up to the age of 24, studying in higher education, or equivalent, or attending a curricular internship essential for obtaining a diploma, can benefit from an extension up to 27 years old.
Double allowance in September
With the aim of supporting families with school fees, children and young people between the ages of 6 and 16 who receive family allowance in the first step, if they are studying, are entitled to double the value of the family allowance in the month of September.
