Portugal advances Single Social Benefit welfare reform

Portugal's government approved a legislative proposal to create a Single Social Benefit (Prestação Social Única) that merges 13 existing non‑contributory welfare payments into one grant. The law aims to simplify access, combat fraud, and encourage labour market entry, and must be enacted by 31 August to avoid losing €620 million of EU recovery funds. Eligibility requires recipients to be 18 or older, resident in Portugal (one‑year residency for non‑EU nationals), and without criminal custody. Beneficiaries must register with employment centres and may be required to perform up to 15‑20 hours of social work per week, with penalties for non‑compliance.

Opposition leader André Ventura of the Chega party demanded two changes: a minimum five‑year contribution period for immigrants before receiving benefits, and a redistribution of the existing Social Insertion Income to families with special needs and higher disability levels. Ventura said, "Immigrants must contribute for at least five years before accessing social subsidies" and called for "greater support for families with special needs". The parliamentary debate on the bill is scheduled for 12 June.