Portugal President promulgates decree to create Unified Social Benefit (PSU)

The President of Portugal signed a legislative authorization allowing the coalition government of PSD and CDS‑PP, led by Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, to draft a decree‑law establishing the Unified Social Benefit (PSU). The PSU will merge 13 existing non‑contributory benefits—including the social insertion income, parental subsidies, old‑age pension, disability pension, extraordinary solidarity complement, widow's and orphan's pensions, and unemployment subsidy—into a single scheme. Parliament approved the authorization with votes in favor from PSD, CDS‑PP, PS, IL, PAN and JPP, while Chega, Livre, PCP, BE and JPP voted against. The decree gives the government 120 days to define the benefit’s values and eligibility criteria. The government cited urgency to avoid losing €600 million of funding from the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Plan.