Receiving partial unemployment benefit

You must submit your documents to the Social Security department within 90 days of starting work.

If you submit them after the 90‑day deadline, the period during which the benefit is paid will be reduced by the period of the delay.

You must submit the following documents:

Employees

• A part-time employment contract, stating the salary paid.

Self-employed workers

1. Proof of the type of work you do
2. Proof the of gross income from your work
3. Proof of expected (estimated) income declared for tax purposes, if you have just started self-employment.

You will need to sign in using one of the following means of authentication:

• Digital Mobile Key (CMD)
• Citizen Card
• Social Security number and password

If you do not yet have a Digital Mobile Key, find out how to activate your Digital Mobile Key.

If you want to use your Citizen Card, find out how to sign in with a Citizen Card.

You do not need to apply for partial unemployment benefit; all you have to do is submit the necessary documents online or in person at an office:

Online on Social Security Direct (SSD)

1. Log in to Social Security Direct
2. In the ‘Trabalho’ (‘Work’) menu, click on ‘Desemprego’ (‘Unemployment’), and then on ‘Subsídio de desemprego parcial’ (‘Partial unemployment benefit’).
3. Click on ‘continuar para ações’ (‘Continue to actions’), and then on ‘consultar e pedir subsídios relacionados ao desemprego’ (‘Consult and apply for unemployment benefits’).
4. Click on ‘Registar pedidos’ (‘Register applications’), and then on ‘Subsídio Parcial de Desemprego’ (‘Partial unemployment benefit’).
5. Fill in the form and submit your application.

After selecting ‘Subsídio Parcial de Desemprego’ (‘Partial unemployment benefit’), general information to consider when registering an application will be displayed.

Information will be displayed, telling you whether your application was successfully registered.

You can consult all existing applications and/or obtain proof.

In person

At a Social Security customer service desk.

Can I receive partial unemployment benefit in addition to other support?

You can combine partial unemployment benefit with:

• a salary for part-time work, provided that the salary is less than the benefit; and
• compensation and pensions for professional and similar risks (such as armed forces disability payment).

You cannot combine it with:

• pensions paid by Social Security or another social protection system, including from the civil service or foreign social security systems;
• survivor and related disability pensions, if greater than 1 IAS (Social Support Index);
• pre-retirement benefits or other regular payments, usually determined by income, granted by the employer upon termination of the employment contract;
• other allowances to compensate for loss of salary (e.g. parental benefit, adoption benefit, sickness benefit); or
• primary informal carer support allowance.

How long is partial unemployment benefit paid for?

Partial unemployment benefit is paid from:

• the date on which you start work, as either an employee or a self-employed worker, if this falls during the period in which unemployment benefit is paid; or
• the date of your application for partial unemployment benefit, if you started work before the date of unemployment.

Partial unemployment benefit ends when:

• the unemployment benefit period ends;
• you start receiving a disability pension;
• you reach the age when you can apply for an old-age pension and have enough qualifying years to access this pension;
• you fail to fulfil your duties and your registration as a jobseeker at a job centre is cancelled; or
• you provided false information, omitted information, or used fraudulent means to obtain the benefit or influence the amount of benefit to be received; or
• your part-time contract ends. In this case, in order to start receiving unemployment benefit again, you must:
  • update your registration at the employment centre; and
  • submit a declaration of unemployment status, issued by your employer, as proof that you are involuntarily unemployed.

How much partial unemployment benefit will I receive?

Employees

You will receive the difference between the amount of unemployment benefit you receive and your salary, plus 35% of the benefit.

Example

Ana receives EUR 650 in unemployment benefit and EUR 400 from her part-time salary.

1. Calculate 35% of the amount of unemployment benefit she receives
   • EUR 650 x 0.35 = EUR 227.50
2. Add this amount to the amount of unemployment benefit she receives
   • EUR 650 + EUR 227.50 = EUR 877.50
3. Finally, subtract the salary she receives for her part-time work from this amount, and you will get the amount of partial unemployment benefit she will receive, per month
   • EUR 877.50 + EUR 400 = EUR 477.50

So Ana will receive EUR 477.50 net in partial unemployment benefit.

Self-employed workers

You will receive the difference between the amount of unemployment benefit you receive and one-twelfth of your expected annual income for tax purposes, plus 35% of the benefit.

Example

Carlos receives EUR 750 in unemployment benefit and has an annual turnover of EUR 21 000.

1. Calculate 35% of the amount of unemployment benefit he receives
   • EUR 750 x 0.35 = EUR 262.50
2. Add this amount to the amount of unemployment benefit he receives
   • EUR 750 + EUR 262.50 = EUR 1 012.50
3. Calculate the amount of annual income from his self-employment, which, in this example, is 20% of the amount of sales. Divide by 12 to calculate the monthly amount of income in question
   • (21 000 x 0.20) / 12 = EUR 350
4. Subtract the amount of monthly self-employment income from the amount of unemployment benefit, plus 35%, and you will obtain the amount of partial unemployment benefit that he will receive, per month
   • EUR 1 012.50 - EUR 350 = EUR 662.50

So Carlos will receive EUR 662.50 net in partial unemployment benefit.

The amount of partial unemployment benefit cannot be more than the amount of unemployment benefit.