Pedir o Rendimento Social de Inserção

To be eligible for the income support supplement, you must meet the following requirements:

• Be at least 18 years old
• If you are under 18 and have an income in excess of 70% of the amount of the RSI (EUR 166.08), you may be entitled to the RSI if:
  • you are pregnant;
  • you are married or have lived together with your partner for more than 2 years; or
  • you are responsible for dependent minors or people with disabilities who are fully dependent on the household (i.e. they have no own income in excess of 70% of the amount of the RSI)
• Be legally resident in Portugal
  • Citizens of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) and third countries with an agreement on free movement within the EU, and persons with refugee status, must be legally resident
  • Citizens of other countries must have been legally resident for at least 1 year
• Be in a situation of extreme poverty – you must authorise Social Security to consult all relevant information to assess your socioeconomic situation
• Have movable assets not exceeding EUR 30 555.60 (60 times the amount of the social support index)
• Have registered with the job centre in your area of residence, if you are unemployed and able to work
  • If you became unemployed on your own initiative (without just cause), you can only claim the RSI from 1 year after the date on which you became unemployed
• Be available for work, training or another form of integration (this commitment is made in the integration contract)
• Not receiving social support under asylum or refugee status
• Not be in pre-trial detention or serving a prison sentence in a custodial facility. You can only request the RSI from 45 days before your release date.
• Not residing in state-funded accommodation, with the exception of a therapeutic community or a unit of the integrated long-term care network. You can only apply for the RSI from 45 days before leaving or being discharged from the unit.

To be eligible for the income support supplement, you must submit the following documents:

• Application for the income support supplement (and the continuation sheet if necessary – see the instructions for completing the form)
• Request for identification of natural persons covered by the social protection system for citizenship (and the continuation sheet if necessary)
• Identification document of the applicant and of everyone in the household (Citizen Card, identity card, passport, civil registry certificate or birth certificate)
• Tax identification number (TIN) of the applicant and the other family members
• Photocopies of payslips for everyone in the household:
  • from the last month, if you/they have regular income;
  • from the last 3 months, if your/their income is variable
• Photocopies of documents proving legal residence in Portugal:
  • citizens of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) and third countries with an agreement on free movement – certificate of residence issued by the municipality of residence
  • citizens of other countries – temporary stay visa / residence visa / temporary residence permit or permanent residence permit showing the residence dating back at least 1 year
  • people with refugee status – residence permit with ‘refugee’ listed as the permit type.

You may need to submit additional documents, depending on your situation. See the Social Security website (‘Como posso pedir’ [‘How to apply’] tab) for more information.

It´s free of charge.

Online on Social Security Direct

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

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

To apply for the social support supplement, follow the steps below:

1. Once you are signed in to Social Security Direct, in the ‘Perfil’ (‘Profile’) menu, select the option ‘e-Clic - contactos’ (‘e-Clic – contacts’).
2. Click on ‘Criar pedido’ (‘Create application’) and describe what you want to do (e.g. ‘Pedir o rendimento social de inserção’ (‘Apply for the income support supplement’).
3. Next, you’ll be asked to define the topic (‘Defina o tema’). You must indicate the following options in the form:
   • ‘Evento de vida’ (‘Life event’): ‘Apoio social’ (‘Social support’)
   • ‘Assunto’ (‘Subject’): ‘Rendimento social de inserção’ (‘Income support supplement’)
   • ‘Motivo’ (‘Reason’): ‘Apresentar um pedido’ (‘Submitting an application’).
4. Click on ‘Confirmar seleção’ (‘Confirm selection’), read the information displayed, and click on ‘Continuar com o pedido’ (‘Continue with the application’).
5. Finally, attach the documents listed (in PDF, JPG or PNG format only), and submit your application.

In person

To apply for the RSI in person, you must go to:

• a Social Security customer service counter; or
• a Social Security service desk in a Citizen Shop.

Can i combine the social insertion income with other benefits?

You can combine the RSI with:

• old-age pension;
• widowhood pension;
• orphan’s pension;
• the dependency supplement;
• the solidarity supplement for the elderly;
• the disability supplement;
• the attendance allowance;
• the special education allowance;
• the family allowance;
• the antenatal allowance;
• parental and adoption allowances;
• sickness benefit;
• unemployment benefits; and
• the basic component of the social inclusion benefit.

For how long can i receive the social insertion income supplement?

The RSI is granted for 12 months and is renewable if the conditions are still met.

You don’t need to do anything to renew. Social Security renews the supplement automatically, based on the information available about your household and income. The renewal process is carried out 2 months before the RSI ends, and the beneficiary is notified of the renewal.

How much social insertion income will i receive?

The amount of the monthly benefit is not fixed, but depends on your household composition and income. The amount you will receive is the difference between the reference amount of the RSI – calculated according to the household – and your personal or family income.

What is the reference amount of the RSI?

The reference amount of the RSI is as follows:

• for the beneficiary: EUR 237.25
• for each adult: EUR 166.08
• for each child or young person under 18: EUR 118.63.

What kind of income is taken into account?

• Employment and self-employment income
• Capital income
• Income from property
• Pensions
• Social benefits
• Allowances.

For more information on the types of income considered when calculating the monthly household income, please consult the Social Security website under the ‘Qual a duração e o valor a receber’ (‘How much and for how long?’) tab.

For information about the income support supplement, consult the Practical Guide on the RSI and the Social Security website.