Pensionists who started contributing to Social Security before 1 January 2002 may benefit from a more favourable pension calculation regime, known as the P1/P2 regime. This regime applies to those who were enrolled in Social Security by 31 December 2001 and combines old rules with current rules, resulting in two portions: P1, which considers the contribution career prior to 2002, and P2, which takes into account the remuneration recorded from 2002 onwards.
The P1 portion has an important particularity: it uses the best years of salaries within the period provided for by law. In careers where there were years with higher earnings, this calculation method can contribute to a more favourable pension. However, the weight of each portion depends on the number of contribution years before and after 2002, and the final amount is always subject to declared salaries and the remaining applicable rules.
Those approaching retirement should check their contribution career on Social Security Direta to confirm that all work periods and respective remuneration are correctly recorded. A gap in a particular year or missing remuneration may have a negative impact on the pension calculation, so it is advisable to regularise any omission before submitting the retirement application.
Social Security Direta also provides a pension simulator that uses recorded data to present an estimate of the retirement amount. Although it does not replace the official calculation, this tool can help workers understand whether the career prior to 2002 will have a relevant influence on the amount to be received.
