The decision was published in the Diário da República, and came into force on 10 December, but has effect from 1 October, and alters the ordinance that defines and regulates the terms and conditions for the granting of extraordinary aid to the social and solidarity sector in the wake of the current pandemic.

The government had already extended this support until 30 September, and is now doing so again, maintaining the payment of these financial contributions until 31 December 2020 and also covering social responses of a residential nature.

“The amount of the social security financial co-payment due to the institutions, in the responses that were suspended, remains unchanged, until 31 December 2020, compared to the figure for February 2020, if the frequency recorded is lower than that recorded in that month”, reads the published ordinance.

On the other hand, it is defined that this extraordinary support is also paid to residential responses to support elderly and disabled people.

With these changes, the government also defines that it will increase the co-payments for day centres with suspended activity where it was necessary to provide such support at home.

This measure also applies to day centres that have already resumed their activity, but “whose adaptation to the context of the pandemic justifies the need for home support”.