From May 2023, rent support and rent credits will be paid. Finance Minister Fernando Medina revealed this Tuesday at a parliamentary hearing that “rent aid” aimed at more than 100,000 families “will begin paying in May, in a few weeks, and is retroactive to January and support for interest subsidies “on housing loans” will also be paid between May and June, depending on the request of the “borrower” to the banking institution”. That is, the processing of these subsidies will reach the Portuguese about a month earlier than expected.
The rent contribution of a maximum of 200 euros per month, which is paid semi-annually if the amount is less than 20 euros, is intended for tenants with an effort percentage equal to or greater than 35% and an annual income to be collected of up to 38,632 euros (6th step of the IRS), so after amortization of the specific deduction in the IRS of 4104 euros, with rental or sublease contracts for permanent housing concluded until March 15 and correctly registered with the Tax Authorities (BIJ). The aid is calculated by the Institute for Housing and Urban Rehabilitation (IHRU) and paid by Social Security, by bank transfer, to the IBAN registered with Social Security Direct. The measure will be in effect until 2028 and the situation of each beneficiary family will be reassessed at the end of each year.
With a subsidy of up to 75% of the additional interest, at a variable interest rate (Euribor) or mixed, in credits for the purchase, construction or renovation of own and permanent housing up to 250 thousand euros, with an effort percentage equal to or greater than 35 %, Borrowers with an annual net income up to the 6th IRS scale (up to 38,632 euros) and contracts entered into on March 15 are eligible. However, families that have exceeded that limit in the last tax return may also be entitled to support, as long as they demonstrate a fall in annual income of more than 20% that puts them in that bracket. Between May and June, families can now ask banks to assess whether they can access the support, which also starts in January. The amount is paid by financial institutions, which are then reimbursed by the state. The measure is only in effect this year, but can be extended.
Check for 360 euros for poor families
“As for the support of 30 euros per month for the most vulnerable families and 15 euros for each child”, whose household has an income up to the fourth step of the allowance, “it will be paid on May 16,” Fernando Medina indicated .
About 1.07 million more vulnerable families, beneficiaries of the social energy tariff and minimum benefits, will be entitled to a monthly allowance of 30 euros. Payment will be made automatically on a quarterly basis, from January to December of this year. In May, June, August and November, checks of 90 euros awarded per quarter are processed, amounting to a total annual support of 360 euros per household. Families must have the correct IBAN on Social Security Direct as payment will only be made via bank transfer.
There will also be a monthly support of EUR 15 for each child entitled to child benefit, i.e. for households with a gross annual income of up to EUR 16,815 or EUR 1,201 per month, which corresponds to the fourth step of the child benefit . The measure will affect 1.1 million children and young people. The transfer also takes place quarterly, with the first installment arriving in May with the surcharge. The aid is then paid out in June, August and November. The subsidy amount will be 180 euros per child for the whole year.
Zero VAT for 46 foods
Zero VAT for a list of 46 foods is in effect “between April 18 and October 31,” the official added. Fernando Medina said that the “support for agricultural production [de 140 milhões de euros] It is expected to start in the first half of the year, subject to approval by the European Commission, under the state aid regime”.
Additional 1% raise in the state
The additional 1% salary increase in the National Office will be paid from May 20 with retroactive effect to January, “with corrections to the withholding mechanism” at source, in the Tax Office, “so that no one is harmed” with this increase, Medina assured. All 742,260 state workers will be entitled to this additional increase, in addition to the nominal increases granted at the beginning of the year from €52.11 for gross wages to €2,612.03 or 2% for higher amounts. With this interim increase, civil servants will receive at least another EUR 7.6 if they earn the minimum wage in the state, which goes from EUR 761.58 to EUR 769.2, representing a cumulative increase of 9% over last year’s minimum wage. year of EUR 705, which is 1% more than the 8% allocated at the beginning of the year. The increase in the state allowance subsidy from 0.80 euros to 6 euros is also retroactive to January and ensures that the amount exempt from IRS paid by card, in the private sector, grows from 8.32 euros per day to 9, 6 euros, an additional 1.28 euros.
Dates to keep in mind
May 16
Monthly support of 30 euros for poor families and 15 euros per child with allowance begins to be paid.
May 20th
I will pay the extra salary increase of 1% and the increase in the meal allowance to 6 euros with retroactive effect to January.
From April 18 to October 31
Zero VAT applies to a set of 46 food items.
Salomé Pinto is a journalist for Dinheiro Vivo
Source: DN
