There was an increase of 5,115 beneficiaries of parental benefits, equating to an 8% rise, according to the summary from the Office of Strategy and Planning (GEP) of the Ministry of Labor, Solidarity, and Social Security released today.
On a month-to-month comparison, there was an increase of 2,378 beneficiaries, representing a 3.6% rise.
At a time when possible changes to parental benefits are under discussion, these 68,999 registered beneficiaries in July represent the highest figure since September 2023, when there were 71,840 beneficiaries, the highest number since 2010, based on Lusa’s analysis of the available data.
Regarding the initial parental subsidy, it was processed for 38,447 beneficiaries.
“This benefit mostly covered mothers, who represented 64.7% of the total, with the number of female beneficiaries being 24,860,” notes the GEP, also indicating that “the number of male beneficiaries was 13,587, representing 35.3% of the total beneficiaries.”
The draft project presented by the Government on changes to the Labor Code, which is being negotiated with social partners in Social Concertation, includes among various measures, changes to parental leave benefits.
The parental subsidy continues to correspond to 100% of the reference salary during the first 120 days of leave but changes in other cases.
For those opting for 150 days of leave, this subsidy currently drops to 80%, but remains at 100% in case of sharing (if each parent takes at least 30 consecutive days or two periods of 15 consecutive days). With the Government’s proposal, the daily amount in this option decreases from the current 100% to 90% of the salary.
In the case of 180 days of leave, the payment today is from 83% to 90% of the reference salary, depending on sharing, the executive intends that it will be paid at 100% of the reference salary if the additional 60-day period is taken “in a shared regime in equal periods by both parents,” that is, one month for each.
