The Child Guarantee is a social benefit in Portugal aimed at children and young people in situations of greater economic vulnerability. It does not replace the family allowance but works as a supplement to the amount already received. In 2026, the annual reference value of this support was updated to 1,528 euros through Order No. 60/2026, which corresponds to approximately 127.33 euros per month. However, this amount is not paid in addition to the family allowance — the Child Guarantee corresponds to the difference between the allowance the child is entitled to and the monthly reference value. For example, a child over 36 months in the first bracket receives 75.13 euros in allowance, so the Child Guarantee supplement would be approximately 52.20 euros to reach the 127.33 euros.
To access this support, three cumulative conditions must be met: the child or young person must be under 18 years old, be a recipient of the family allowance for children and young people, and belong to a household whose reference income falls below the applicable legal limit. This limit was set at 0.35 times the Social Support Index. The Child Guarantee is part of the national strategy for the prevention and combating of child poverty.
One important feature is that no application is required to receive this supplement. Regulatory Decree No. 3/2022 states that the right to the Child Guarantee is recognized officially by the entity responsible for the family allowance. The right may be suspended if the conditions relating to the allowance or household income are no longer met, and it ceases when the allowance entitlement ends or when the young person turns 18. Families with questions can check the status of family benefits through Social Security.
The reference amount increased again in 2026, rising from 1,495 euros annually in 2025 to 1,528 euros, a 2.2% update that was also applied to other family benefits. The update takes effect from 1 January 2026. Thus, for children and young people who meet the conditions and whose allowance falls below the reference value, the Child Guarantee can represent dozens of additional euros every month.
