• Pensions in all schemes of the Social Security are payable monthly in arrears at the end of each calendar month, in 14 payments, one for each month of the year, plus two bonus payments, one in June and one in November. When benefits are a consequence of a work-related injury or an occupational disease, they are distributed in 12 payments, since the bonuses are prorated within the ordinary monthly payments.

• Ordinary monthly payments are paid in full, including the one that corresponds to the month in which the right to the pension ends, except the initial pension payment which, if not accrued for the first of the month, will be paid proportionately to the number of natural days of the month in which the pension becomes effective.

• The amount of bonuses, in the case of full accruement periods,  will equal the ordinary monthly pay that corresponds to that month. A single day of pension payment will be enough to calculate a sixth of the full amount of the corresponding bonus.

In the case of initial recognition of the right to receive a pension, or resumption of a pension that was suspended, the bonuses that correspond to June and November will be paid, respectively, at the rate of one sixth per each month between:

• The month in which the initial recognition of the pension took place, or the resumption of the pension, and the month of May, both inclusive, in the case of effectiveness between 1 December and 31 May.

• The month in which the initial recognition of the pension took place, or the resumption of the pension, and the month of November, both inclusive, in the case of effectiveness between 1 June and 30 November.

In the case of suspension or expiration of a pension, whatever the reason, the bonus that follows the last payment received will be considered as accrued on the first of the month in which the pension is suspended or the event that causes the expiration of the pension takes place. It will be paid along with the last monthly payment to which the beneficiary is entitled, or as a pension accrued and not received, applying the following rules:

• In the case of the bonus that corresponds to the month of June, it will be paid at the rate of one sixth per month between December of the previous year and the month in which the pension is suspended or the event causing its extinction takes place, both inclusive.

• In the case of the bonus that corresponds to the month of November, it will be paid at the rate of one sixth per month between June of the previous year and the month in which the pension is suspended or the event causing its extinction takes place, both inclusive.

The pension is paid by:

• The National Social Security Institute (INSS) or, when appropriate, the Social Marine Institute (ISM), for retirement pensions, as well as in cases of pensions for permanent disability, widowhood, orphanhood and for family members when the case for which they are granted is due to common disease or non-work-related injury.

• The INSS or the Mutual Society Partnering with Social Security, depending upon who is responsible for protection in cases due to work-related injury. If the responsibility for protection lies with a Mutual Society, the pensions are paid by the INSS after the Mutual Society approves the current value of the capital cost of the relevant pension.

• The INSS, when the eventuality that leads to the pensions is due to occupational illness.