Digital transition of Social Security services

 The investment aims to accelerate the digitalisation of Social Security services, making them more user-friendly, more efficient and helping to curb fraud and evasion. The investment consist of steps to: i) improve the design and organisation of Social Security services in the areas of social benefits, social contributions, fraud prevention, information management, and payment channels; ii) develop and implement a new relationship model, which is expected to integrate the various interaction channels between citizens, firms and Social Security services through an omni-channel approach; iii) adapt Social Security services’ workplaces to allow for more flexible work arrangements, such as teleworking; iv) implement information technology infrastructure based on cloud solutions that have the potential to support performance and interoperability; and v) review internal processes and train Social Security workers to support the smooth implementation of structural change.

The investment includes the automatic attribution of a provisional pension, which, in the past, could entail long waiting times. This part of the investment was launched in 2021 and was reinforced in the second half of 2022 thanks to the Recovery and Resilience Facility. As of early 2023, 45,000 pensions had already been attributed automatically through the digital system, and the waiting time to have a pension attributed was 21 days on average. Another part is to introduce a so-called Vision 360° plan, allowing citizens to request and manage Social Security requests online. Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa visited the headquarters of the Social Security in January 2023 as part of his roadshow of Recovery and Resilience Facility-supported projects.

More information and press releases can be found on the website of the Social Security here and here as well as on the website of the government here.

Project video on Social Media: Vídeo promocional da Visão 360 na Segurança Social Direta - YouTube