Retirement, Pensions and Social Security
Support for older people and their families in preparing and following retirement and pension applications, reviewing the contribution record, regularising contributions, survivor’s pensions, the Solidarity Supplement for the Elderly and other Social Security benefits. This includes situations with contribution periods in both Portugal and Brazil.
What is included
- Old-age or retirement pension application
- Preparing and following the retirement process
- Contribution record review
- Checking registered earnings and contributions
- Regularising contribution periods
- Social old-age pension
- Survivor’s pension
- Death grant
- Solidarity Supplement for the Elderly
- Long-term care supplement
- Family allowance and family benefits
- Complaints and administrative corrections
- Replies to Social Security notices
- Obtaining statements and supporting documents
- Reviewing contribution periods in Portugal and Brazil
- Organising the contribution record across both countries
- Aggregation of contribution periods, where legally applicable
- Preparing and following international pension applications
- Correcting discrepancies in contribution records
Every situation is assessed individually. These services are provided within the remit of a Trainee Lawyer, under the supervision of Dr. João Nogueira Marques, Lawyer.
What helps prepare for your consultation
- A summary of your work periods and the countries where you paid contributions, including Portugal and Brazil where relevant.
- Contribution statements and earnings records you already have, marking possible gaps or differences.
- Any Social Security applications, decisions or notices received, and the benefit you want to discuss.
- Contracts, employer statements or correspondence from the time covering older periods.
- A downloaded Segurança Social Direta statement or screenshots of the relevant records. Never send or share passwords or authentication codes.
- A note of the specific questions you want answered, in your own order of priority.
What we review with you
We compare your work history with the available records to identify periods or amounts that need clarification. If you worked in more than one country, we assess how that history relates to your pension application. We then identify the checks, corrections or replies to prepare. We separate what can be confirmed immediately from the records, what needs further evidence, and what depends on a reply from another body, so you know from the outset what is within reach and what is not. Where an earlier decision exists, we read it alongside the statement to see which periods were counted.
Official information
Common questions before a consultation
How do I start reviewing my contribution record?
We begin by comparing your employment timeline with the official records available. Missing periods, differing earnings and previous decisions are identified so that we can decide what should be confirmed or corrected before an application.
Do contributions in more than one country change the assessment?
They may. The countries, periods and rules applying to each stage of your career need to be identified. The consultation organises those elements and considers how they should be presented to the competent bodies, which retain the final decision on the benefit.
Can you give a date for the decision?
A timeframe cannot be promised without knowing the procedure, documents and bodies involved. We explain the stages that can be controlled, any outstanding requests and how the case can be followed without creating expectations about outcome or duration.
Which documents help confirm older periods?
Contracts, payslips, employer statements, contribution records and correspondence from the time are usually useful. Even incomplete paperwork helps: it locates the period in question and shows which body it should be confirmed with.
What if periods are missing from the statement?
The first step is to separate a recording gap from a period where no contributions were actually paid, because each follows a different route. The consultation identifies which body holds each period and what evidence could support a correction request.
Does the consultation help decide when to apply?
It assembles what that decision requires: the current state of the record, what remains unclear and what depends on third parties. The decision is yours and the final assessment rests with Social Security; the consultation organises the information you decide on.
I already received a decision. Is a review still worthwhile?
Yes. Reading the decision shows which periods and amounts were counted and which were not, and whether there is a basis to seek clarification or reconsideration. Keep the complete decision and proof of the date you were notified.
Do I have to travel to Porto?
No. Appointments can be held remotely, in Portuguese, English or Spanish, and documents can be sent in advance. In-person consultations in Porto remain available for anyone who prefers to deal with the matter face to face.
Editorial responsibility: Carvalhos Advocacia. General information; confirm the current position for your case before acting.