To be entitled to this support, it is necessary to have a disability proven through a Medical Certificate of Multipurpose Disability, resulting in a degree of disability equal to or greater than 60% (or 80% if receiving a disability pension).
It is a benefit (PSI) that aims to support people with disabilities, promoting their autonomy and social inclusion.
How PSI (Social Inclusion Benefit) works:
PSI has three components: the base component, whose maximum monthly value is 275.30 euros (for people with no income or with a disability equal to or greater than 80%), the supplement, with a maximum amount of 438.22 euros, and the top-up, which has not yet begun to be awarded, awaiting regulation.
The basic component aims to compensate for the additional burden that these people have compared to non-disabled people. The supplement aims to fight poverty. The top-up, which awaits regulation before it can come into force and be awarded, is intended to help support specific charges related to the disability situation of the beneficiaries.
The PSI has replaced the lifelong monthly benefit and the disability social pension and can be accumulated with other social benefits such as pensions (except the old age or disability social pension), special education allowance, social integration income and some supplements (for dependency, dependent spouse).
Apart from the social old-age or disability pension, this support cannot be combined with the family allowance subsidy for disabled children and young people, the senior citizens’ solidarity supplement or the constant attendance allowance. If you are already receiving the latter when you claim the PSI, you will not stop receiving it. However, you cannot claim Carer’s Allowance if you are already receiving social inclusion benefit. It should also be noted that in order to be entitled to PSI from the age of 55 onwards, certification of the disability must have been applied for before that age, even if it is given afterwards. In that case, the beneficiary must present proof that he/she requested the disability certification before the age of 55.
What is the amount of the support:
The degree of disability of the beneficiary is equal to 80% or more, the possible existence of income will not influence the amount of the base component. Thus, the beneficiary will receive 275.30 euros per month in 2022. On the other hand, if the degree of disability is equal to or greater than 60%, the amount of the benefit is variable, depending on the beneficiary’s income, such as wages, self-employment income or other social benefits, as well as the income level and size of the household. If the beneficiary is a minor, the maximum amount of support is 137.65 euros per month.
The supplement to the social benefit for inclusion is given to anyone who is of legal age (or is at least 16 years old and married), proves that they are in a situation of economic need or insufficiency and are not institutionalized in a state-funded social facility or with a foster family. The amount varies according to the family’s income and the number of people in the household where the disabled person lives.
The maximum monthly amount is 438.22 euros; however, it rises to 766.89 euros if there are two people in the household who are eligible to receive the PSI. If the household has more than one person, the maximum amount can be even higher, since the maximum amount is multiplied by the number of family members, although not all have the same weight: a weighting of 1 is given to each beneficiary of the benefit, 0.7 for other adults, and 0.5 for minors.
Social Security reassesses the conditions for granting the PSI every 12 months. This also applies whenever the beneficiary notifies the Social Security services of any change in the degree of disability, income or composition of the household. Reassessment may result in the amount of the benefit being maintained, modified, suspended or terminated.
How to claim social inclusion benefit:
Both the base component of the benefit and the supplement can be applied for at the Social Security offices or online by the beneficiary or by his or her legal representative or someone providing or willing to provide assistance if he or she is a minor, incapacitated or awaiting the appointment of a legal representative.
To apply for the basic component of PSI, you must submit the appropriate form, accompanied by the medical certificate of multi-purpose incapacity issued by a medical board or, if you do not have one, proof that you requested certification of incapacity. You may also need to show an identification document. If you have income and a degree of disability of less than 80%, you will need to add an attachment to the form. Depending on the specific situation of each beneficiary, other documents may also be requested by the Social Security services.
To apply for the complement, besides the same form, you may have to present documents which prove the income of the family unit or its eventual non-existence, although, in principle, these are proven by information from Social Security itself and by cross-checking with tax administration data.
Do not lose the right to other supports:
If you receive disability family allowance subsidy, disability or old age social pension or solidarity supplement for the elderly – benefits that cannot be accumulated with the PSI – when filling out the form applying for the PSI, you can ask to continue receiving these benefits if their value is higher than the one you would receive from social benefit for inclusion. To do this, you should make a cross on the form, indicating that you consent to the PSI application being dropped if the amount of PSI you are entitled to is less than the amount you are receiving from the other benefits. If you do not do so, you will receive the value of the basic component of the social inclusion benefit, even if it is lower.
Source: https://www.deco.proteste.pt/familia-consumo/orcamento-familiar/noticias/prestacao-social-inclusao-apoia-pessoas-deficiencia
