Portuguese Minister of Labor visits region, introduces new Social Security initiatives
NEW BEDFORD – As she paid a visit to New Bedford on Feb. 3, Portugal’s Minister of Labor, Solidarity and Social Security Ana Mendes Godinho was affectionately welcomed to ‘Little Portugal.’
With a smile, she noted that it didn’t seem that little.
“It’s a pleasure to be here. I would not say in little Portugal, but in big Portugal,” she said, while addressing those gathered at a reception held in her honor at the Portuguese Consulate.
“It’s quite impressive what you feel when you walk around and see all the Portuguese influence and Portuguese names on shops,” she added. “We feel like we are in Portugal. It’s very good to feel at home.”
Godinho visited Cambridge, Providence and New Bedford with the support of the respective Portuguese consular offices, before heading to New York City to deal with matters at the United Nations regarding the joint entry of Portugal and Cape Verde into the Global Accelerator on Labor and Social Protection.
With the support of Portugal, this project will help make Cape Verde a training center for the Community of Portuguese-Language Countries, focusing on capacity building and skills development which can also match the interests of Portugal-based companies.
“This agreement is a very powerful sign to the world… believing that true cooperation is built around everyone winning and not around a country jeopardizing the other,” the minister said.
Godinho said many Americans are discovering Portugal through the Portuguese communities in the United States.
“When we look at the way the Portuguese community has been responsible for real development and integration, their success abroad shows how you can break down walls when you do believe you can be part of growth in an integrated way,” she said. “The Portuguese community can be a perfect ambassador of Portugal.”
Godinho said Portugal is currently one of the European countries of choice for North Americans to visit or live in.
“Ten years ago, Americans were in the 10th place in terms of tourists in Portugal. They were around 300,000 per year,” she said. “Right now, it’s in the top three and 2 million Americans go to Portugal every year. We also have more and more Americans buying houses in Portugal and moving there. What better than our Portuguese communities to be the first ones to spread the word and information about Portugal.”
Portugal appoints new U.S. attaché for Social Security
The minister was accompanied by the Secretary of State for Social Security Gabriel Bastos, the President of the Institute for Social Security Ana Vasques and the new U.S. attaché for Social Security Ana Cristina Relvas.
“We are here to make a dream come true,” said the minister. “One year ago, when I visited the [Portuguese] communities of Newark and New York, they told us they needed support from the Portuguese government in terms of Social Security because they were facing many issues and many doubts about pensions and rights and had no concrete answers. We are back a year later to bring an attaché. Ana is here to serve you and answer your questions. She will be the face of the Social Security of Portugal here.”
Godinho echoed these words at public meetings held at the Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers office in Cambridge and at Rhode Island College with the support of the Institute for Portuguese and Lusophone World Studies.
Although the new attaché will be working out of the Consulate of Portugal in Newark, she can help individuals anywhere in the United States and be contacted by email at Adido-SS-EUA@seg-social.pt or by phone at 973-643-2328.
If the need arises, the new attaché will visit the different communities across the country with the coordination of the local Portuguese consular offices.
“I will be wherever my presence is needed to resolve situations as quickly as possible,” pledged Relvas, informing that she can also help individuals with matters pertaining to the Social Security agreement between the United States and Portugal.
The agreement in place since the 1980s eliminates dual Social Security taxation when a worker from one country works in the other country and is required to pay Social Security taxes to both countries on the same earnings. It also helps fill gaps in benefit protection for workers who have divided their careers between the United States and another country.
Thousands of individuals living in the United States are eligible to receive pensions from both Portugal and the United States.
“This proximity is essential to speed up the resolution of cases that might arise,” Relvas said.
Minister: Portuguese government investing heavily on Social Security initiatives
According to Minister Godinho, Portugal has been investing a lot in Social Security and currently citizens can take care of most of their needs online, including applying for retirement benefits.
“Starting Feb. 15, it will also be possible to have your direct Social Security account online with a U.S. mobile number, which until now was impossible,” said Godinho, while urging individuals to sign up for electronic deposits.
“This will avoid delays in payment,” she added.
Community members voice their concerns and praise
Helena da Silva Hughes, CEO of the Immigrants’ Assistance Center in New Bedford, said her office serves many Portuguese immigrant elders who have no computer skills and may not be able to access the services online.
“As we are creating these initiatives online, my brain keeps thinking it’s not going to work for the clientele we serve,” Hughes said. “We have a very large Portuguese population that needs a lot of what we call hand holding. I can’t stop thinking about who we serve and their technology barriers. I think collaborations or memorandums of agreement with local NGOs like the Immigrants’ Assistance Center and Ser Jobs for Progress is probably what’s going to work.”
In Rhode Island, Marcia da Ponte, who represents the Portuguese communities of Massachusetts and Rhode Island at the Council of the Portuguese Communities - the Portuguese Government’s advisory body for policies relating to emigration and Portuguese communities abroad – touched upon a couple of other issues.
She questioned why there was recently a change in procedures that require local Azoreans now to deal with the central Security Social office instead of going through the office in the Azores. This has been causing significant delays, she said.
She also suggested notaries public be allowed to process proof of life certificates for pensioners instead of having to go to the Consulate.
“It’s an interesting idea we should explore,” said the Secretary of State for Social Security.
Meanwhile, Prince Henry Society State Council President Fernando Farinha had some words of praise for the minister and her team.
“I think the initiative you’re putting together shows a lot,” he said at the reception in New Bedford. “It shows that you care. You realized what the community had been asking for a long time and came here with a concrete plan and a name and face behind it.”
This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Portugal's Minister of Labor visits Mass. and R.I. before U.N. meeting
