Employment and Economic Benefits for People with Disabilities
Work Integration for People with Disabilities
Represents a major step in the socio-economic participation of people with disabilities. Measures have been promoted to foster employment in this sector, with support both within the normal channels and through forms of sheltered employment for people with serious or permanent disabilities.
Regular Employment Measures
Specific jobs and actions are in place to encourage the hiring of people with disabilities. Regarding the reservation of jobs:
- Firms with more than 50 employees are required to reserve a minimum of 2% for disabled people.
- Administration: 3%.
Support measures for recruitment include subsidies and tax benefits to entities that include people with disabilities in their workforce. These measures are recognized in Act No. 10/1994 on urgent measures to promote employment. Measures should be supported to ensure the fulfillment of this charge.
Sheltered Employment
This includes special employment centers and occupational centers.
- Special Employment Centers: Enable the development of paid work, listed in the Social Security, aimed at people with disabilities who develop employment in a job suited to their abilities.
- Occupational Centers: For people with intellectual disabilities over 16 years of age, if their disability prevents them from joining a company or a special employment center. These centers tend to be managed by voluntary organizations.
Formulas have been promoted for employment in semi-normal enterprises, cooperatives (both with and without disabilities), which attempt to adapt the workplace to the capabilities and skills that the person can develop. One of these formulas is the protected enclave, integrated into a company formed by non-disabled people.
Social and Economic Benefits
Within the realm of disability, there are different economic benefits and pensions in the contributory scheme of Social Security.
Non-Contributory Pensions
People who do not have sufficient funds or are listed on Social Security are provided with different types of benefits. The LISMI (Law of Social Integration of the Disabled) recognizes the right to healthcare and pharmaceutical benefits for disabled people. It also provides various types of economic benefits:
- Minimum income guarantee subsidy (repealed by the Law of Non-Contributory Pensions).
- Support for a third person (repealed by the Law of Non-Contributory Pensions).
- Mobility allowance and compensation for transport costs.
With the advent of the Law of Non-Contributory Pensions (PNC), the first two subsidies were repealed, and a non-contributory pension was created for those who meet these requirements:
- Age: 18-65 years
- Illness or disability to a degree greater than 65%
- Lack of sufficient income
Contributory Regime
Disability pension is recognized as a situation and sees continued health impairment that limits a professional activity. The amount and characteristics depend on the level of disability and recognize these situations:
- Permanent Partial Disability (for the usual profession)
- Permanent Total Disability (for the usual profession)*
- Permanent Total Disability*
- Major Disability*
* Entitle the recipient to a pension.
In addition to these, people with disabilities receive technical aids that allow the acquisition, maintenance, and renewal of resources aimed at developing technologies, as well as subsidies and promotion of associative entities in this sector.