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If an income is lost, how long can my family manage?

Unemployment, a long illness, or the death of the breadwinner. See what Social Security pays, how much is missing per month, and how many months your savings can last.
  • Registered credit intermediary and insurance agent at BdP and ASF
  • Social Security support according to current rules
  • No costs or commitment
What happens to the earner?

Three questions about a household member and what the family has

Calculate for one person at a time. Then, switch and see the other.
€

We assume €1,200 per month, a reference value. Enter yours for an accurate calculation.
€

If left blank, we assume €1,000 per month. If nothing else comes in, click 'Nothing else'.
€

We assume €5,000 in savings, a reference value.
We assume the essentials take up 70% of the household income and that this person is 40 years old with 15 years of contributions. In the event of death, we account for a mortgage payment of €600, covered by life insurance.

What Social Security pays

These are estimates based on general rules. The exact amount depends on your career: confirm on Segurança Social Direta.
  • 65% of the gross salary, up to a maximum of €1,342.83 per month. It lasts between 5 months and 2 years and 2 months, depending on age and contributions.For self-employed, only in specific cases
  • 55% of the gross salary in the first month, and increases up to 75% for long-term sickness. The first 3 days are not paid.For self-employed: 10 days without payment and 1 year at most
  • The family receives a survivor's pension: 60% of the pension the person would have had, plus an additional amount for each child. And €1,611.39 as a death grant, paid once.With few years of contributions, the pension is small

How we calculate

We show how long your family can hold out if your salary stops, through unemployment, illness or death.

  1. What Social Security pays

    Unemployment benefit, sickness benefit or survivor's pension, with the limits and time frames set by law.Legal rule · DL n.º 220/2006, DL n.º 28/2004, DL n.º 322/90 e DL n.º 187/2007

  2. What is missing each month

    Essential expenses minus that support and the household's other income.Your data; Assumption

  3. How many months you can hold out

    We divide your savings by what is missing each month and compare the result with the reference months. Whatever is left uncovered is what insurance can cover.Assumption
These are estimates based on general rules. The exact amount depends on your career: confirm on Segurança Social Direta.

Illustrative cases

Illustration: Telma and Ivo at the kitchen table, with household bills
Illustrative example

Telma and Ivo earn well. For this reason, unemployment weighed more.

They live in Ovar with 2 children. Ivo earns €2,600 per month and Telma €950. They spend €2,850 on essentials. They thought unemployment benefits would cover the bills. They didn't know there's a maximum: €1,342.83 per month, regardless of earnings.
  1. 1“If Ivo loses his job, how long can we manage?”
  2. 2Ivo's benefit was capped at the maximum: €1,342.83 per month, about half of what he earns. With Telma's salary, €2,293 came in and €2,850 went out. They were short by €557 every month.
  3. 3With CrediSegur, they reduced fixed expenses and are strengthening their emergency fund. To have a year's autonomy, they need €686.

Shortfall €557/month

In unemployment, they manage10 months

In unemployment, they manage
10 months
with €6,000 in savings
Shortfall
€557/month
every month, for essentials
In a long-term illness
3 years and 3 months
the benefit covers the essentials while the illness lasts
“The benefit exists, but it wasn't made for our expenses.” — Telma
Illustration: Jaime on the sofa with his wife and children
Illustrative example

Jaime is the sole breadwinner. He wanted to know what would be left.

He is 36 years old and lives in Ílhavo, in a rented house, with his wife and 2 children. He earns €1,700 per month and the family spends €1,450 on essentials. Since the house is rented, there is no mortgage life insurance. If Jaime is gone, the rent continues every month.
  1. 1“If I'm gone, what will they have?”
  2. 2The survivor's pension for his wife and children would be about €605 per month. For essentials, they would be short by €845 every month. The savings and death grant, totaling €7,611, would last 9 months.
  3. 3He asked CrediSegur for an analysis of the family's needs. The simulator gave him the starting point: how much is needed for the family to manage 5 years.

The family manages 9 months

Estimated protection gap, for 5 years€43,089

Estimated protection gap, for 5 years
€43,089
it's a calculation, not a recommended capital
The family manages
9 months
with savings and the death grant
Shortfall
€845/month
every month, for essentials
“I always thought the pension would solve it. With 12 years of contributions, it doesn't.” — Jaime
*Illustrative, non-binding example, with fictional characters and values, purely indicative and subject to confirmation. It does not constitute an insurance offer, nor does it replace the analysis of each client’s personal situation or the insurer’s acceptance of the risk. Under the information duty set out in Law no. 7/2019, of January 16 (legal framework for insurance distribution). CrediSegur (CRRF Brokerage, Lda.) — Insurance Agent registered with the ASF under no. 421571530, for the Life and Non-Life branches, under a commercial agreement with Seguramos – Corretores de Seguros, S.A. In the event of a dispute, the client may resort to CIMPAS — Centro de Informação, Mediação e Arbitragem de Seguros. Illustrative cases: characters, values, and conditions are fictional and serve only to demonstrate the simulator's operation. Social Security benefits are estimates based on general rules. The survivor's pension is an estimate based on general rules. The estimated protection gap is a calculation, not a recommended capital: insurance proposals only after analyzing the client's needs.

What's true and what's myth in family protection

Four ideas we often hear, and what to do about each.
  • Myth“On sick leave, I receive my salary.”False. In the first month, you receive 55% of the gross salary, and the first 3 days are unpaid. Only in long-term leaves does it reach 75%.What to do: See how much is missing in the first month of sick leave.
  • Depends“The mortgage insurance protects the family.”It pays off the house debt, which is significant. But it doesn't cover food, school, or other bills. And those living in rented homes don't have it.What to do: Simulate death with and without mortgage insurance.
  • Myth“The survivor's pension is enough to live on.”False in many cases. It's a portion of the pension the person would have received. With few years of contributions, it's far below the salary.What to do: Enter your years of contributions and see the value.
  • Truth“6 months of expenses set aside change everything.”True. An emergency fund gives you time to look for work or recover without resorting to expensive credit.What to do: Start with one month of expenses and gradually increase.

The next step

You already have this answer. Keep going — each tool prepares the next decision.

Support from a CrediSegur manager

A CrediSegur manager follows your request with the institutions we work with. Our intermediation service has no cost for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

It is 65% of the average gross salary, including holiday and Christmas bonuses. The minimum is €537.13, or €617.70 for those who earned at least the minimum wage. The maximum is €1,342.83 per month. It also cannot exceed 75% of what you received after deductions. The duration depends on age and years of contributions.
55% of the gross salary up to 30 days, 60% up to 90, 70% up to 365, and 75% after that. The first 3 days are not paid for those working for others. Sick leave can last up to 1095 days.
The husband, wife, or partner receives 60% of the pension you would have been entitled to. The children receive an additional 20%, 30%, or 40%, depending on whether there are one, two, or three or more. The family also receives a death grant of €1,611.39, paid in one lump sum. At least 3 years of contributions are required.
It starts from your current gross salary, counts 2% for each year of contributions, with a minimum of 30%, and applies a reduction because the pension considers the entire career. It is an estimate. The exact amount is available at Segurança Social Direta.
If the insured person dies, the insurance pays the bank what they owed. If it includes disability coverage, it also pays if the person becomes unable to work. It does not cover normal sick leave or unemployment. In a couple, check what portion of the debt the insurance covers for each: it can be all or just half.
In sickness, there are 10 days without payment, and the support lasts a maximum of 365 days. In unemployment, support is only available in specific cases, such as for those who receive most of their income from a single company. Therefore, the simulator calculates without unemployment support.
Official data verified on 10/20/2026 · Sources: Diário da República, Autoridade Tributária, Banco de Portugal, Segurança Social, Assembleia da República, JORAM (Madeira) · see sources
Important note: Informative simulation. The supports are estimates based on the general rules of the current Social Security system and do not replace the official calculation: confirm at Segurança Social Direta. The gross salary is estimated from the net, for a person without dependents. The estimated protection gap is a calculation, not a recommended capital or an insurance proposal. Rules used (in Portuguese): DL n.º 220/2006 (subsídio de desemprego); valores de 2026, a confirmar na Segurança Social Direta; DL n.º 28/2004 (subsídio de doença); DL n.º 322/90 e DL n.º 187/2007 (pensão de sobrevivência e subsídio por morte); o fator de carreira 0,8 é um pressuposto. CRRF – BROKERAGE, LDA (CrediSegur) is a tied credit intermediary registered with Banco de Portugal (no. 0001290) and an insurance agent registered with ASF (no. 421571530). Insurance proposals are only made after analyzing the client's needs.