Portugal Labour Minister calls for political pact on Social Security reform

Portuguese Minister of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security, Maria do Rosário Palma Ramalho, stated that any reform of the Social Security system must be the result of a political pact between parties. She indicated that changes to pensions are unlikely during the current legislature and emphasized that any extraordinary pension measures would depend on budget execution and the Ministry of Finance.

Speaking at the ‘Social Conecta’ conference in Lisbon, the Minister also highlighted the impact of the ‘Primeiro Pessoas’ program. She reported a 16% reduction in in-person Social Security services, representing approximately four million interactions that were successfully resolved through digital channels. This shift is intended to reserve physical assistance for complex or highly vulnerable cases.

Additionally, the Minister noted that digital modernization efforts, including the use of virtual IBAN and MB Way, have facilitated 1.4 million operations. The implementation of AI and new social benefit simulators has also contributed to the digital transformation, with simulators reaching over three million uses.