Informal carers
Informal carers are persons who regularly or permanently take care of other people in a state of dependency.
An informal carer can be:
- a non-primary informal carer – a person who regularly, but not permanently, provides help to the person being cared for; they might receive remuneration for work or be paid for the care they provide to the person being cared for;
- primary informal carer – a person who permanently provides help to the person being cared for, lives in the same household and does not receive remuneration for work or for the care they provide to the person being cared for. This carer may be entitled to the primary informal carer support allowance.
The information in this section is organised as follows:
Recognition of this status allows informal carers to benefit from various support measures.
In order to be granted this status, the informal carer must fulfil the following conditions:
- reside legally in Portugal;
- be over 18 years of age;
- have the physical and psychological capacity to provide appropriate care for the person being cared for;
- be a spouse or unmarried partner, a blood relative or relative by marriage in the direct or collateral line of the person being cared for (e.g. children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, siblings, parents, uncles or aunts, grandparents, great-grandparents, great-uncles or great-aunts or cousins).
The person being cared for must also meet the following conditions:
- be dependent on another person or other persons and require permanent care;
- not reside in a care home or social support establishment (public or private);
- receive a social benefit (second-degree dependant supplement, first-degree dependant supplement or third-party care allowance).
Find out more about how to apply for recognition of informal carer status.
You can also consult the practical guide for informal carers.
The primary informal carer support allowance is a cash benefit awarded to those who have been recognised as primary informal carers.
In order to be entitled to this allowance, informal carers must meet the following conditions:
- be between the age of 18 and the legal age for accessing the old-age pension
- the household’s monthly reference income must be less than EUR 576.16* in 2023.
Find out more about how to claim the primary informal carer support allowance.
You can also consult the practical guide for informal carers.
* Find out how to calculate your household’s monthly income for the purposes of the primary informal carer support allowance on the Social Security Portal.
Information updated on March 15, 2024