After the Salesianos de Manique school held the Ministry of Education responsible for unequal treatment among students receiving social support—specifically regarding lunch differences between those on a free meal plan and those paying monthly fees, with the latter having access to a more varied menu—the Minister of Education, Science and Innovation...
Fernando Alexandre questions the coexistence of two lunch schemes in schools
Tuesday, 17 March 2026RSS
Context & Explainers
Segurança Social is Portugal's public social security system, responsible for administering pensions, unemployment benefits, sickness pay, parental leave, family allowances, and other social support payments. It is funded through mandatory contributions from employers and employees.
Most services are managed online through Segurança Social Direta (SSD), where users can check contribution records, apply for benefits, submit declarations, and track payments using their NISS (Social Security Identification Number) and Citizen Card credentials.
Key interactions for residents include registering as a contributor (mandatory for all workers), claiming unemployment benefits, applying for parental leave, and accessing the minimum income scheme (Rendimento Social de Inserção). Self-employed workers (trabalhadores independentes) must also make quarterly income declarations through the platform.
