# Social discounts?



## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

I'd never heard of it before but one of my Portuguese friends who is a nurse told me yesterday that when someone here is registered as having something like diabetes etc the info or rather a code of some sort is automatically transferred to other departments and the person concerned is automatically given 'social discounts' on a number of services such as electricity etc & in some cases even has things like mortgage payments waived.

Can anyone here shed any further light on the subject?

And isn't it wonderful to live in such a caring society.


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## paramonte (Sep 9, 2007)

I am only aware that diabetics get free medication for diabetes (but not other diseases he/she may suffer even if they are a consequence of diabetes). 

People with cancer get a relief in the tax return.


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## advolex (Mar 8, 2015)

I'm not sure that a medical condition would also entitle a citizen to the social discount that travelling-man asked about, but I have heard that the electricity bill receives a discount when people have low registered income. And I remember being surprised when I moved in, that the water works would only install water in my flat after a few days, as the plumbers were all busy disconnecting people who couldn't pay their water bills. So the client manager of Aguas do Porto apologetically told me. But I had water after two days or so, wasn't a big deal. But the info convinced me to have them charge my bank account directly, out of fear that else someone might show up one day to disconnect the water.


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

I'd never heard of it at all until my friend mentioned it but as I was diagnosed as diabetic a few years ago I decided to check my electricity bill & lo & behold..... there it was. 

It's not a helluva lot but it is there & I'm astounded that the society I live in is that caring........

I'm going to go through my various bills to see if it appears on anything else other than the 'leccy & then add it up & make a donation to the Bombeiros or other worthy charities.


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## advolex (Mar 8, 2015)

*Bombeiros & Social discounts*



travelling-man said:


> I'd never heard of it at all until my friend mentioned it but as I was diagnosed as diabetic a few years ago I decided to check my electricity bill & lo & behold..... there it was.
> 
> It's not a helluva lot but it is there & I'm astounded that the society I live in is that caring........
> 
> I'm going to go through my various bills to see if it appears on anything else other than the 'leccy & then add it up & make a donation to the Bombeiros or other worthy charities.


Social discount could result from diabetes to low income, which is interesting to note. Previously IMI was unrelated to the owner's income situation, which is the case in other jurisdictions also. Now I read in another thread (about cost of living in PT) that a new member had found that the IMI exemption has been prolonged to eight years and any owner with less than 15 000 € annual income will not have to pay IMI at all. @travelling-man, is this old news for you and if so can you shed some light here? - That would be a truly caring social discount, don't you think?


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

Certainly new news but not to do with income in my case & it begins when I was diagnosed as diabetic but either way, it impresses the hell out of me.


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