The family allowance serves to help offset the expenses of families with children. Find out if your child is entitled to support and how much they can receive.
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If you have or are about to have dependent children and children, the family allowance it can be a precious help at the end of the month.
This cash benefit, which may be required onlineis allocated monthly with the aim of offsetting family expenses with the maintenance and education of children and young people.
The amount that each family receives depends on its economic situation, the age of the child and the composition of the household, that is, the number of adults and children or young people who are part of it.
In this article, we explain the levels of family allowance, which determine the amount to be received depending on the household’s income, as well as all the conditions for accessing this support.
Who is entitled to family allowance?
According to the Social Securityto access the family allowance, you need the children and youth:
The) Are under the age of 16;
B) Be resident in Portugal or equivalent to residents;
ç) Do not carry out work activity, unless this corresponds to the employment contract during school holidays;
In addition, the household in which they are inserted:
- Must have a reference income equal to or less than the value established for the 3rd income bracket or equal to or less than the 4th income bracket in the case of children aged less than 72 months or who are considered isolated persons;
- You cannot own movable assets (shares, bank accounts, savings certificates, bonds, participation certificates and participation units in collective investment institutions) whose total value exceeds 115,303.20 euros (240xIAS) on the date of application.
Young people aged 16 and over
From this age onwards, young people are only entitled to the allowance if they are studying and attending the levels of education described below.
- From 16 to 18 years old: if they are enrolled in basic education, in an equivalent course or at a subsequent level, or if they attend an internship at the end of the course, essential for obtaining the respective diploma.
- From 18 to 21 years old: if they attend secondary education, an equivalent course or at a subsequent level, or if they undertake a curricular internship that is essential for obtaining the respective diploma.
- From 21 to 24 years old: if they are enrolled in higher education, or an equivalent course, or if they attend a curricular internship essential for obtaining the respective diploma.
- Up to age 24: in the case of children or young people with a disability who are entitled to disability benefits. If they are studying at higher education level, or an equivalent course or attending a curricular internship essential for obtaining a diploma, they benefit from an extension of up to 3 years (up to 27 years old).
Young people who did not have the opportunity to enroll due to the rules of access to higher education or who are prevented from enrolling in the subsequent academic year, for curricular reasons, maintain the right to family allowance in the following situations:
- Until they reach the established age for attending secondary education, provided they complete the 12th year of schooling before that age limit;
- In the school year following the 12th year of schooling, provided they are within the age limits set for attending higher education;
- Up to the age limit set for the level of education in which the subjects whose approval is sought are included.
School test
For young people between the ages of 16 and 24, it is mandatory to take the school test during the month of July. This test is carried out via the Internet by means of a Declaration provided at the Direct Social Security Service.
In cases where there is already an exchange of information between Social Security and the Education area, the school test is carried out automatically by the services.
Family allowance scales in 2023
At the moment, there are five levels of family allowancewhich correspond to different household reference income levels.
As with other social benefits, such as unemployment benefit or pensions, the income ranges used to define the amounts of the family allowance are established according to the Social Support Index (IAS).
How to calculate the benchmark yield?
To calculate the reference income of a family, add up the total income of each member of the household, divide by the number of children and young people and add one.
The number of children and young people includes those who are not receiving the family allowance because their household income has exceeded the limit corresponding to the 4th step.
Afterwards, the calculated value is inserted into one of the five income levels established based on the Social Support Index (IAS). Remember that the IAS in 2022 was 443.20 euros and, in 2023, it is 480.43 euros.
The higher the monthly income, the lower the installment to be received and Families in the last tier are not entitled to family allowances..
The table immediately below thus indicates the reference yields in 2022, which determine the allowance to be received in 2023.
| step | Yield of reference | Yield in 2022 |
| 1st | equal to or greater than 0.5xIASx14 | up to €3,102.40 |
| 2nd | Greater than 0.5xIASx14 and equal to or less than 1xIASx14 | more than €3,102.40 up to €6,204.80 |
| 3rd | Greater than 1xIASx14 and equal to or less than 1.7xIASx14 | over €6,204.80 up to €9,307.20 |
| 4th | Greater than 1.7xIASx14 and equal to or less than 2.5xIASx14 | more than €9,307.20 up to €15,512.00 |
| 5th | Greater than 2.5xIASx14 | more than €15,512.00 |
Example
Let’s assume that, in 2022, you had an annual income of 24,000 euros and you have two children. In this case, your reference income will be €8,000 (€24,000 divided by 3). This means that he is included in the 3rd step of the family allowance.
Benchmark yields in 2023
The reference earnings in 2023 that determine the level of allowance to be received in 2024 are:
| step | Yield of reference | Yield in 2023 |
| 1st | equal to or greater than 0.5xIASx14 | up to €3,363.01 |
| 2nd | Greater than 0.5xIASx14 and equal to or less than 1xIASx14 | more than €3,363.01 up to €6,726.02 |
| 3rd | Greater than 1xIASx14 and equal to or less than 1.7xIASx14 | over €6,726.02 up to €11,434.23 |
| 4th | Greater than 1.7xIASx14 and equal to or less than 2.5xIASx14 | over €11,434.23 up to €16,815.05 |
| 5th | Greater than 2.5xIASx14 | more than €16,815.05 |
How much family allowance do you receive?
The amount to be received by each family will vary depending on their reference income, the age of the child or young person and the number of people in the household.
Values ​​of the family allowance per child/young person in force
| step | Up to 3 years | From 3 to 6 | 6 more years |
| 1st | €149.85 | €50 | €41 |
| 2nd | €123.69 | €50 | €41 |
| 3rd | €97.31 | €32.44 | €28 |
| 4th | €58.39 | €19.46 | 0€ |
| 5th | 0€ | 0€ | 0€ |
Double family allowance in September
To offset expenses with school fees, during the month of September, families inserted in the 1st income bracket with children and youth between 6 and 16 years old receive a double allowance.
This additional amount, equal to the amount of the family allowance, is granted as long as the children and young people are enrolled in educational institution.
In situations where the granting of family allowance for children and young people is in progress and the members of the household are not obliged to present the income tax return, for tax purposes, the attribution of the increase does not depend on the presentation of an application.
How to apply for the allowance?
Benefits for family expenses must be applied for:
- by parents, equivalent persons or legal representatives, provided that the child or young person is part of their household;
- by the person or entity that has the child or young person in administrative or judicial custody, provided that the situation is duly proven;
- by the youth himself if he is over 18 years old.
If there is more than one child or young person receiving allowance in the same family, the application must be submitted by the same person. The application for benefits for family expenses must be submitted:
- at Social Security counters, on paper;
- by filling out the application onlinein the Direct Social Security service;
- at the counters of the Citizen’s Shops that provide the service.
Do not forget to have with you the documents required to apply for the allowance, which you will receive within a period of 6 months, the count starting from the month following the month in which the determining event for its granting occurred. After this deadline, he is only entitled from the month following the submission of the application.
Family allowance can be combined with:
However, it cannot be accumulated with:
When the child and youth allowance is suspended
The right to the allowance is suspended when carrying out a work activity, except if it is provided under an employment contract, during school holidays. However, it can be resumed at the request of interested parties when they once again have the conditions for attribution.
Suspension and resumption of the right take place in the month following the month in which the Social Security service becomes aware of the facts that led to the suspension.
Expiration of allowance
This right ends when:
- the child or young person ceases to reside in national territory;
- the period of validity of the residence permit in national territory ends;
- the young person starts a professional activity;
- the young person is not enrolled in the education that corresponds to their age group.
Duties and sanctions
Duties
Social Security must be notified of any change that determines the suspension or termination of the family allowance within 10 working days from the date of verification of the facts.
sanctions
Those who: are subject to sanctions:
- omit the change of residence;
- they do not inform that the young person receiving family allowance has started a professional activity;
- they make false declarations or omissions that resulted in the undue allocation of benefits, in the case of not declaring, in the application, the composition of the household and the experience in the family economy of the respective members of that household;
- they give false statements or omissions which resulted in the undue allocation of benefits, in the case of requesting or receiving the same benefit through another beneficiary or another social protection scheme.
Anyone who commits any of the breaches referred to above may have to pay a fine whose value is among the 100 euros and the 250 euros.
If the non-compliance is more serious, the fine can reach between 250 euros to 2,494 euros. This happens when annual proof of income, household composition and residence is not presented, when requested by the Social Security services.
Also subject to this fine are those who make false statements in the application for family allowance relating to:
- household income;
- number of children or young people with the right to family allowance inserted in the household;
- number social security (NISS) and tax identification number (NIF).
Article originally published in July 2019. Last updated in January 2023.
