Support for the elderly. Measures and benefits for ageing with dignity
Ageing is a natural process and, although each stage of life brings new challenges, later life does not have to mean loneliness or hardship.
Fortunately, in Portugal there is a broad network of support designed to ensure that older people can live with dignity, safety and wellbeing. Whether through financial support, health services or personalised social responses, the aim is to allow every older person to age well and to maintain their independence and an active lifestyle.
Below, discover the main forms of support available.
Financial support
In later life, having financial security is an important pillar of a peaceful life. From monthly pensions to extraordinary supplements, Portugal offers a range of support that ensures older people can live with dignity, even when their income falls after retirement.
- Old-age pension: at 66 years and seven months, citizens are entitled to a monthly pension – the well-known “reforma” (retirement pension) – to replace the income lost on stopping work, provided they have at least 15 years of contributions to Segurança Social (Portuguese Social Security)
- Social old-age pension: for those without sufficient contributions, there is financial help intended for older people on very low incomes
- Complemento Solidário para Idosos (CSI, the Solidarity Supplement for the Elderly): monthly support for older people on low incomes, which also offers additional health benefits such as discounts on medicines, glasses, dentures and medical appointments
- Extraordinary pension supplement: additional financial support granted to pensioners on lower incomes, to ease financial burdens and ensure greater economic stability.
- Supplement for a dependent spouse: couples on low incomes, where one of the spouses receives up to 44.61 euros
- Social support for elderly emigrants in need: Portuguese older people, aged 65 or over, who live abroad and find themselves in a vulnerable or needy situation may be entitled to social support, which should be requested at consular offices
- Extraordinary social support for energy consumers: CSI beneficiaries can request a reduction in the price of electricity and natural gas, combining this discount with the social tariff.
Health support
If financial security is important, quality of life in later years also depends on health. Those who receive the CSI, for example, have access to a set of benefits that help reduce healthcare costs and, in this way, provide relief from day-to-day expenses.
Among the support available, the following stand out:
- Medicine expenses: you receive 50% of the portion not covered by the State, easing the cost of prescriptions
- Purchase of glasses and lenses: entitlement to 75% reimbursement up to 100 euros every two years, to ensure clearer and more comfortable vision
- Purchase or repair of removable dentures: the CSI covers 75% of the cost up to 250 euros every three years, helping to care for oral health
- Dental voucher (cheque-dentista): additional support for dental treatments.
Reimbursements are made after presenting the medical prescription and the corresponding receipt at the Health Centre, and are paid together with the Complemento Solidário para Idosos. To request these benefits, you will need to present a declaration from Segurança Social confirming entitlement to the CSI at the first request.
Social support
Segurança Social and the Instituições Particulares de Solidariedade Social (IPSS, private social solidarity institutions) have been developing a broad network of social support for older people.
- Social centre: these promote social and cultural activities that encourage the active participation of older people and help avoid loneliness, fostering new interpersonal relationships
- Day centre: for older people aged 65 or over, day centres offer ongoing support that stimulates autonomy and self-esteem and delays the need for permanent residential care
- Night centre: designed for older people who live alone and feel insecure at night, these offer overnight accommodation, providing greater safety and peace of mind
- Holiday and leisure centre: the chance to relax and discover new places is essential to older people’s wellbeing. Holiday centres offer moments of relaxation and group companionship, ideal for those who are independent
- Home support service: for older people with greater dependency, this service provides help with everyday tasks such as hygiene, meals and household care
- Residential facilities: these offer collective accommodation for older people, both temporarily and permanently, with environments adapted to their needs
- Family care: families prepared to take in older people can provide temporary or permanent support.
Financial support in Portugal is, without doubt, important help and, compared with many countries, offers a significant support network. But, unfortunately, for many older people it is still not enough to guarantee a life free of worries. According to the Instituto Nacional de Estatística (INE, Portugal’s national statistics institute), more than 400,000 older people live on a maximum of 551 euros a month, an amount far below what is needed to ensure a dignified life.
More recent measures to support the elderly
In recent years, the government has been implementing new measures to support the older population. A particular highlight is the Estatuto da Pessoa Idosa (Statute of the Elderly Person), which promotes the active participation of older people in society, thereby encouraging more dignified and inclusive ageing.
A significant increase in financial co-funding was also approved for social responses aimed at older people, such as care homes and day centres, with a 3.5% rise in funding. This measure helps ease the effects of inflation and ensure the continued operation of these essential services.
How can I access this support?
To access any of this support, it is important that older people or their families seek information from Segurança Social, their local councils or the IPSS in their area. Most forms of support can be requested through the Segurança Social service desks or at the Lojas do Cidadão (Citizen Shops), where you can obtain guidance and complete the necessary forms.
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