Online application process for extended parental leave initiated
Starting this month, parents in Portugal can now apply for Extended Parental Allowance online through Previdência Direta, a new service funded by the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP). This digital service offers a simpler, quicker, and safer alternative to traditional in-person application process, according to a statement on the Social Security website.
To use this service, parents should first log into their Previdência Direta account and navigate to the "family" menu. Within this section, they are required to select the "parenthood" option, followed by the "register request" option, and finally the "extended parental allowance" sub-option. After registration, they can track the progress of their application.
The extended parental allowance benefit can be claimed both full-time and part-time, and it allows parents to take care of their child until the age of six. This convenience has been developed within the scope of the PRR, facilitating the recording of various types of this subsidy with greater ease and efficiency.
The Extended Parental Allowance is a benefit available to either parent or both for a maximum duration of three months, which can be received consecutively, alternately, or simultaneously. However, recent discussions in Parliament regarding an increase in initial parental leave were hindered by the early end of the legislature, although efforts to reconsider this proposal in the next legislature are ongoing.
Despite these ongoing discussions, the introduction of the online application process for Extended Parental Allowance provides a significant convenience for parents. Labour Minister Maria do Rosário Palma Ramalho has expressed concerns that the proposed expansion of parental leave could exacerbate gender inequality, as most childcare responsibilities still fall predominantly onto women, negatively impacting these women in the job market.
- With the new online application process for Extended Parental Allowance, parents can now manage their personal-finance matters more efficiently by logging into their Previdência Direta account and navigating to the specific "extended parental allowance" sub-option.
- The implementation of the online application system for Extended Parental Allowance has been developed within the scope of the PRR, aiming to facilitate the management of personal-finance concerns related to parenthood with greater ease and efficiency.
