Request the social unemployment benefit

Social unemployment benefit is a cash benefit that can be granted to any person who:

Service channels

  • Get in place.
    Within 90 days from the date of unemployment.

    Free

    In Employment Centers.

Who can request the social unemployment benefit?

  • The following persons residing in Portugal are entitled to social unemployment benefit:
  • employees who had an employment contract and paid social security contributions (or have a contract that is suspended due to late payment of wages);
    • domestic workers, provided that:
    • they are employed on a full-time monthly basis and have entered into a written agreement with their employer to deduct the benefit from their actual wages; and
  • the agreement has been submitted to the relevant Social Security office and the conditions for the actual earnings to be considered the basis for contributions have been met;
  • farmworkers registered with Social Security since 1 January 2011;
  • undifferentiated farmworkers registered with Social Security up to and including 31 December 2010;
  • employees appointed to management positions, provided that on the date of their appointment they have been employed by their company for at least 1 year and are covered by the general Social Security regime for employees;
  • contracted employees who are also managers – whether shareholders or not – in a non-profit entity (such as a non-profit cultural body), provided that they do not receive remuneration of any kind for performing these functions;
  • primary and secondary school teachers;
  • former military employees or volunteers.

When can you request the social unemployment benefit?

You must submit your documents to Social Security within 90 days of the date on which you became unemployed.

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.

What are the documents and requirements to request the social unemployment benefit?

In order to apply for social unemployment benefit, you must meet the following requirements:

  • reside in Portugal;
  • be involuntarily unemployed;
  • be able and available to work;
  • be registered as a jobseeker with the job centre in your area of residence;
  • satisfy the minimum qualifying period:
  • 180 days of paid employment in the 12 months immediately preceding the date of unemployment; or
  • 120 days of paid employment in the 12 months immediately preceding the date of unemployment, in the event of:
    • involuntary unemployment as a result of the expiry of a fixed-term employment contract; or
    • termination of the employment contract by the employer during the probationary period.

Note on probationary periods: Social employment benefit is granted only in situations where the employment contract expires during the probationary period, with a minimum qualifying period of 120 days, once every 2 years from date on which the social unemployment benefit ends.

You must submit the following documents:

  • form RP5044 declaring the unemployment situation, which can be submitted:
    • on paper, by the person themselves at the job centre; or
    • through Social Security Direct by the employer, with the prior consent of the applicant (the employer must provide the applicant with the relevant proof of submission);
  • form MG8 declaring household composition and income;
  • tax documents, copies of payslips received or other evidence of household income, as required by Social Security;
  • if the employer terminates the employment contract for just cause:
    • proof of legal action taken by the employee against the employer;
  • if the employee terminates the employment contract for just cause:
    • proof of legal action taken against the employer, if the applicant invokes a just cause for termination and the employer has invoked another reason, in form RP5044, describing the unemployment as voluntary;
  • if the employee suspends the contract due to late payment of wages:
    • form GD18 declaring late payment;
    • proof of communication to the employer and to the Working Conditions Authority (in this case, the unemployment declaration (form RP5044-DGSS) need not be submitted);
  • if you are a migrant worker from the European Union, Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein or Switzerland and you are residing in, and claiming the benefit from, Portugal:
  • form U1 – Periods to be taken into account for the granting of unemployment benefits.

How request the social unemployment benefit?

In person

Before applying for social unemployment benefit, you must register with the job centre closest to where you live. You can register with the job centre online, but the benefit must be applied for in person at that centre.

If, within 90 days from the date of unemployment, you are unable to work because of illness, another person may register on your behalf.

Can social unemployment benefit be combined with other support?

  • You can combine social unemployment benefit with:
  • indemnities and pensions for occupational and similar risks;
  • supplementary allowance paid when carrying out socially necessary work; and
  • social inclusion benefit.

You cannot combine it with:

  • benefits to compensate for loss of labour remuneration;
  • pensions paid by Social Security or another compulsory 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; or
  • primary informal carer support allowance.

How long does unemployment benefit last?

How long you can claim social unemployment benefit for depends on your age and for how many months you have paid social security contributions since the last time you were unemployed.

Check the Social Security portal to find out how long you can claim social unemployment benefit for in your case.

Social 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 no longer fulfil the means test (if the monthly income per person in the household exceeds EUR 418 (80% of the IAS));
  • you fail to fulfil your duties and your registration as a jobseeker at a job centre is cancelled; or
  • you provide false information, omit information, or use fraudulent means to obtain the benefit or influence the amount of benefit to be received.

How much unemployment benefit will I receive?

The amount is calculated with reference to the Social Support Index (IAS), based on 30 days per month:

  • if the applicant lives alone: EUR 418 (80% of the IAS), or the value of their net reference remuneration (whichever is lower);
  • if the applicant lives with other family members: EUR 522.50 (100% of the IAS), or the value of their net reference remuneration (whichever is lower).