Providing proof of school enrolment for family allowances, study grants and the survivor’s pension

To continue receiving the family allowance for children and young people, a study grant or a survivor’s pension, candidates must prove that the young person is enrolled at an educational or training institution. This proof must be provided every year by 31 July, or in the month prior to turning 16.

Educational or training institutions automatically issue proof of school enrolment to Social Security, but you must remember to confirm that the enrolment has been registered. To do so, visit Social Security Direct and open the ‘Provas registadas’ (Registered proof) tab. If the proof has been registered, you don’t need to do anything. If the proof has not been registered, read below for instructions on how to register it.

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    Proof of school enrolment must be provided by 31 July each year.

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Who can providing proof of school enrolment for family allowances, study grants and the survivor’s pension ?

For minors, the proof is submitted by the person receiving the family allowance – usually the father, mother or guardian.

Persons aged 18 or above must provide and register the proof themselves.

Students enrolled in private institutions without a contract of association, in vocational training courses with primary or secondary school equivalence, or in higher education, must provide the proof of enrolment manually on Social Security Direct.

Who is not required to provide proof of school enrolment?

Young people up to the age of 16 do not need to provide proof of school enrolment.

Persons with disabilities who are under 24 years of age do not need to provide proof of school enrolment in order to keep their entitlement to the family allowance. However, study-grant candidates who meet the required conditions must provide proof of school enrolment. Proof of enrolment must be submitted to the Social Security branch responsible for the candidate’s place of residence.

What is the deadline to providing proof of school enrolment for family allowances, study grants and the survivor’s pension ?

Proof of school enrolment must be provided by 31 July each year.

Suspension of the allowance and grant

If proof is not provided by 31 July, the family allowance and the study grant will be suspended immediately from the start of the school year in September.

If proof of school enrolment is provided between 1 August and 31 December, the allowance will be resumed and the suspended benefits will be paid retroactively, i.e. recipients will get the amounts for the period during which the allowance or grant was suspended.

If proof of enrolment is submitted after 1 January of the following year without good reason, the recipient will lose their right to the suspended benefits. Payment will only start from the first day of the month following the month when the proof was submitted.

What are the documents and requirements to providing proof of school enrolment for family allowances, study grants and the survivor’s pension ?

To submit proof of school enrolment for the family allowance, a study grant or a survivor’s pension, young people must meet the following conditions:

Family allowance

  • Young people from the age of 16 (or 24 for persons with disabilities) who, in the current academic year, are:
    • enrolled in basic, secondary or higher education or on a vocational training course with equivalence;
    • receiving the family allowance in any bracket.

Study grant

  • Young people from 14 years of age who, in the current academic year, are:
    • registered in year 10, 11 or 12 (or the equivalent level);
    • receiving the family allowance in the first or second brackets.

Survivor’s pension

  • Young people aged 18 to 25 – enrolled on a course at secondary, post-secondary, non-tertiary or tertiary level.
  • Young people up to 27 years old – enrolled on a postgraduate course, a master’s degree or a PhD, or undertaking an internship to obtain a degree.

If the course or internship is subsidised, the amount received cannot exceed two-thirds of the minimum wage.

For further information, see Social Security’s ‘Practical Guide – Proof of schooling’.

Requirements

Applicants must be registered with Social Security Direct, either:

  • through their father, mother or legal guardian, for students/pupils who are minors; or
  • on their own behalf, if they are aged 18 or above.

For legal representatives of students/pupils who are minors, this representation must also be registered with Social Security Direct before submitting proof of school enrolment.

(Visit the Social Security Direct website and select ‘Perfil’ (Profile) > ‘Representações’ (Representations) > ‘Registar Representação Legal’ (Register legal representation)

To access Social Security Direct (SSD), you will need to sign in using one of the following means of authentication:

What is the price to providing proof of school enrolment for family allowances, study grants and the survivor’s pension ?

It is free of charge.

How providing proof of school enrolment for family allowances, study grants and the survivor’s pension ?

 

On Social Security Direct

Visit Social Security Direct (SSD) and, in the ‘Provas registadas’ (Registered proof) tab, check whether proof of school enrolment has already been automatically registered.

In the ‘Provas por registar’ (Proof to be registered)’ tab, provide proof of school enrolment in Social Security Direct as follows:

  • Family allowance – in the ‘Família’ (Family) tab, click on ‘Abono de família e de pré-natal’ (Prenatal family allowance)’ menu, and then on ‘Prova Escolar’ (Proof of schooling).
  • Survivor’s pension – in the ‘Pensões’ (Pensions) tab, click on the ‘Prova Escolar’ (Proof of schooling)’.

Persons receiving both the family allowance and a survivor’s pension must provide proof of school enrolment only once, choosing either of the tabs mentioned above.

If there is more than one pupil/student, proof of school enrolment must be provided for each one.

NB: proof of enrolment on vocational training courses that are equivalent to primary or secondary education can also be provided on Social Security Direct.

 

Additional information

For further information see:

If you have any questions about providing proof of school enrolment, contact the Social Security hotline on +351 210545400 or +351 300502502. Call costs for both numbers from mobile or landline phones are at the discretion of the operator and subject to the respective contracted rates.