IL criticizes ‘election auction’ of pension proposals, BE accuses PSD of ‘a joke’

This Monday, the Liberal Initiative classified the SDP’s proposals to increase pensions as an “election auction” and wanted to know how much they would cost, while BE accused the Social Democrats of wanting to pull off a “trick” and not have “any or a loan.” .

“When these measures are proposed, almost in an election auction, it is important to submit reports. We still cannot understand how much these proposed measures cost,” said Bernardo Blanco.

Speaking to reporters in the Assembly of the Republic, the IL deputy said that “in order to evaluate these measures, it is necessary to know how they are financed.”

“More than ad-hoc measures and vote-buying efforts as it seems, unfortunately we really need to think about the welfare model and how to change it. People who should receive pensions in the future will, because of this, no, they will not receive anything. Portugal must grow very quickly for contributions to increase,” he said.

Noting that IL “does not participate in this game” of “champions of electoral auctions”, Bernardo Blanco emphasized that “money does not fall from the sky.”

“Portugal has a very difficult economic situation, mediocre economic growth, and this is another reason for IL to go to the elections alone, present his ideas and be a guarantor that the next government will not be the same, no these permanent measures. and statements, then, in fact, it is the government that has the courage to implement these reforms, many of which are difficult, but which can actually transform the country,” he emphasized.

Soon there, MP José Soeiro from BE considered that “the PSD proposal is a trick regarding pensions, Montenegro’s version, because it does not concern pensions”, since “it is not aimed at the very two million pensioners, but only 134 thousand people who are beneficiaries of the Solidarity Supplement for Older Persons (CSI).

“Contrary to the idea that the SDP seemed to want to propose, the SDP will not take into account anyone with a pension below 820 euros,” the blocker noted, noting that the Social Democrats adhere to “unfair rules that are used for the calculation this Monday.” universe of people who have access to CSI.”

The deputy emphasized that the BE proposed changing these rules, however, “the SDP failed this change, maintaining the accounting of the income of the spouse and children for access to the Unified State Register, excluding the majority of pensioners who have very low pensions.”

José Soeiro also argued that “the PSD has no right to talk about raising pensions, because the last time the PSD and the right were in government, they massacred the pensioners and robbed them, that is, the assets of the PSD in relation to pensions.” .

On Saturday, PSD President Luis Montenegro announced at the party congress an increase in the CSI benchmark value to 820 euros at the end of the next legislative assembly (in 2028), if early legislative elections on March 10 are held. won and decided whether to increase pensions in accordance with the law.

In a statement at the TSF forum today, the parliamentary leader of the SDP mentioned a “further” possible change in the criteria for access to the Solidarity Supplement for Older People.

CSI is a cash support paid monthly to low-income older people over 66 years and four months living in Portugal.

The current cost is no more than 488.22 euros per month, and the criteria that are taken into account when assessing the resources of an older person, according to Social Security, are the income of the applicant applying for the supplement, as well as “the income of the person with whom you are married or live in a de facto union for more than two years” or even “the income of the children for calculating the applicant’s family solidarity component.”