It was a demonstration born on Facebook, on Saturday, September 8 - 24 hours after Portuguese Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho announced a new tax on all workers. Exactly a week later it was reality - never since the revolution of 1974 had so many taken the streets to express their anger at the government. More than 1.5 million people hit the streets, according to state news agency LUSA. The hub of the protest was Lisbon, where 350,000 people walked two miles from Praça Jose Fontana Square to Praça de Espanha Square. In Porto, the same: more than 100,000 came out to Praça da Liberdade for more than four hours, to show their anger at the conditions resulting from the country's bailout … [Read more...] about Portuguese take to streets against austerity
social security
Disentangling Spain’s new medical prescription co-payment process
The new co-payments system has been functioning since July 1 and it is now clear that: Pensioners with an income below €18,000 pay 10% toward the cost up to a maximum of €8 per month. Pensioners with an income above €18,000 but below €100,000 pay 10% toward the cost up to a maximum of €18 per month. Pensioners with an income above €100,000 pay 10% toward the cost up to a maximum of €60 per month. Non-pensioners with an income below €18,000 pay 40% toward the cost with no maximum. Non-pensioners with an income above €18,000 but below €100,000 pay 50% toward the cost with no maximum. Non-pensioners with an income above €100,000 pay 60% toward the cost with no maximum. Your … [Read more...] about Disentangling Spain’s new medical prescription co-payment process
New co-payment scheme for Spanish medical prescriptions
This is the information we are aware of at the time of writing. On July 1 a co-payment system for prescriptions in Spain was introduced. Everyone now has to make a contribution towards the cost of medical prescriptions in Spain according to their income. This new co-payment system is being implemented in two stages: Stage 1 From July 1 anyone given a prescription in Spain should notice that it will include the percentage of the cost of the medication that they have to pay. This percentage will be taken from information about your income obtained from the annual resident tax declaration (IRPF). Anyone with an income greater than €18,000 a year will have to pay half the cost of the … [Read more...] about New co-payment scheme for Spanish medical prescriptions