Portalegre hospital closes obstetrics emergency for three days
The Left Bloc (Bloco de Esquerda or BE), the Portuguese Communist Party (Partido Comunista Português or PCP), and Livre have secured enough signatures to force a parliamentary review of the new Single Social Benefit (Prestação Social Única or PSU). These parties argue the new decree-law may negatively impact social protection for vulnerable families and the elderly.
Update: Asset threshold for social benefit access clarified
New government guidance specifies that only households with financial assets exceeding 32,227.80 euros—equivalent to 60 times the Social Support Index (Indexante dos Apoios Sociais or IAS)—will be blocked from accessing the new PSU.
The IAS (Indexante dos Apoios Sociais) is the Social Support Index, a reference value used by the Portuguese government to calculate social benefits, pensions, and fines. It is adjusted annually based on economic growth and inflation to ensure social support payments remain aligned with the cost of living.
The PSU (Prestação Social Única) is a proposed single social benefit designed to consolidate various existing welfare payments into one streamlined system. The goal of this reform is to simplify access to support, reduce administrative complexity, and improve work incentives for low-income households.
