The Government “will be available” to grant a new bonus to pensioners as it did this year, but if there is budget space for it, or even make a “structural increase in pensions” in the future.

“The Government will be available to carry out an extraordinary increase in pensions, particularly the lowest ones, as it did this year, if there is budget space for it. Something that depends on free time is not included in the Budget,” said Social Security Minister Rosário Palma Ramalho in Parliament, adding that “it will also be available for a structural increase in pensions.”

Miranda Sarmento admits supplement for pensioners in 2025 if public accounts allow it

“But we have been here for six months, our program is for four years, not six months. This Budget is prudent and we do not make advance announcements so as not to create imbalanceseven in the face of global economic uncertainty,” he stated.

Rosário Palma Ramalho was asked several times if he would be available for new pension increases, in addition to the updates that arise from the law and that will normally occur in January. The first question in this regard was from the socialist deputy Ana Paula Bernardo, who criticized that the Government had advanced with a bonus paid at once to pensioners in October, instead of incorporating that increase in the value of the pensions. He says that it was an “electoral measure” and that it “opens the door to times of discretion.” And he questioned whether there would be budgetary room to promote the improvement of pensions in a structural way. The PS had proposed an extraordinary pension increase of 1.25 percentage points for the lowest pensions by 2025, which would have a permanent effect.

Rosário Palma Ramalho responded to the socialist deputy that “this Government is dedicated to helping the poorest of the poor and I’ll do it again if there’s budget room.”. This year, the Executive granted a bonus of between 100 and 200 euros, which was paid in a single payment and was not definitively incorporated into the pension. The Minister of Finance, Joaquim Miranda Sarmento, had already admitted repeating the bonus if public accounts allow it.

Miranda Sarmento admits supplement for pensioners in 2025 if public accounts allow it

At the end of his speech in Parliament, Rosário Palma Ramalho also admitted a possible “structural increase”, but it will be necessary to review the accounts to avoid allowing “imbalances”.

Calculations from at least two entities point to an “overbudget” made in the State Budget in relation to social benefits, which may indicate that there is some room for additional measures. This was the case of the Technical Budget Support Unit (UTAO) and the Public Finance Council.

According to UTAO, the “estimate for 2024 indicates overbudgeting of spending on social benefits.” “The upward revision of spending on social benefits in the estimate for 2024 appears to exceed the measures that justify it, which could constitute a budgetary margin, indicating a better result than the estimate for the current year and a more budgetary starting point. favorable for the year. year 2025, which constitutes an upward risk in this biennium,” reads the evaluation of the State Budget proposal for 2025.

According to the CFP, “taking into account that the payment of 399 million corresponding to the extraordinary pension supplement that occurred in 2024 will not be repeated in 2025, it is accepted that the expected value of social benefits other than those in kind may be overvalued,” it points out. in its analysis report to the OE. And that is why the CFP considers that, if confirmed, “it would allow additional measures to be adopted that would be accommodated in 2025.”

The CFP sees the budget with room for new pension measures and points to a surplus higher than that of the Government

The updating of pensions in the year following imputation does not apply to retirees before 2024 because it would not be affordable

Rosário Palma Ramalho, responding to the PCP, said that the change that will see the new pensions updated in the year following the award applies to those who retired this year and not before, because it would not be financially affordable.

“It doesn’t make sense to us, especially since it wasn’t financially affordable, but even if it were, it wouldn’t make sense for us to be able to extend it to those who retired in 2023 or 2022 or since the issue arose. 15 years ago. It is not economically affordable. “It is not equal,” he stated.

The problem, he says again, “has existed for many years” and “the PS Government had eight years to solve it, it did not solve it.” “The AD comes to the Government and resolves it within a period of six months and, of course, within reasonable parameters.”