Solidarity Supplement for the Elderly increases by 50 euros in June – Politics

The reference for the solidarity supplement for the elderly (CSI) will increase by 50 euros from June, going from 550.67 euros to 600 euros.

The measure was approved this Thursday by the Council of Ministers and according to the prime minister, it is the first phase to reach the CSI of 820 euros in 2028, at the end of the current legislature. “Our commitment is to the legislature and to comply as quickly as possible and we decided today with immediate effect to increase the solidarity supplement for the elderly from 550 euros to 600 euros.” Currently, the value is 550.67 euros, “which was subject to an increase at the beginning of the year and we are making this increase as a first stage on the path to reaching 820 euros”, at the end of the legislature, pointed out Luís Montenegro.

“This means that from June onwards all pensioners will have a monthly income increase of 50 euros and all those who have the reference conditions to be able to do so”, indicated the prime minister. At stake is a current universe of 140 thousand people. The CSI is a differential benefit, in which beneficiaries receive only the difference between their income and the reference value (adjusted to the number of members of the household). The reference value had increased by 12.8% at the beginning of this year, to 6,608 euros, below the poverty threshold value calculated for the last year. This was 7,095 euros in 2022, being 60% of the national median income.

At this Thursday’s meeting, the Government also approved a change to the rules for accessing this benefit created to support lower-value pensions, the so-called recourse condition, which takes into account the beneficiaries’ income. Until now, children’s income was considered; with the change now approved, it no longer counts when approving access to the CSI.

The Government also approved a third measure for the elderly to reimburse 100% of prescription medicines for CSI beneficiaries. There is still no timetable for this measure to come into force. According to the statement from the Council of Ministers, “the The measure to extend health benefits for CSI beneficiaries will come into force the following month after the conclusion of the ongoing consultation with the government bodies of the autonomous regions.”

(News updated at 2:25 pm with more information)