Portugal Mortgage Discount for Disabled Buyers Inches Up, Savings Persist

Portuguese households in which at least one member has a confirmed disability of 60 % or more will see the “built-in discount” on their mortgage dip again next semester. From January the taxa de referência used to calculate subsidised-loan bonuses rises slightly, trimming the cushion that has shielded thousands of borrowers from the worst of the Euribor spike—yet it remains dramatically lower than the level recorded a year ago.

Snapshot: what matters now

• 2.623 % – new reference rate for January-June 2026.

• Previous semester: 2.563 %; first half of 2025: 3.175 %.

• Applies to home-purchase or renovation loans capped at €190,000 and covering up to 90 % of the property’s value.

• Borrowers must hold a multi-purpose medical certificate attesting at least 60 % incapacity.

• Banks are not obliged to offer these loans, but some—most notably Caixa Geral de Depósitos and Bankinter—still do.

What exactly changed?

The Treasury and Finance Entity published the half-yearly notice in the Diário da República, pegging the new figure to the six-month Euribor plus 50 bp. That formula yielded 2.623 %, a mere 0.06-point uptick. Because the rate operates as a deduction from whatever variable interest the bank charges, a higher TRCB means the deduction gets slightly smaller, eroding part of the advantage enjoyed by borrowers in the special regime.

How much will repayments move?

Financial planners contacted by Expresso estimate that on a typical €150,000, 30-year loan indexed to six-month Euribor, the change translates into €2 to €4 more per month. The amount is modest when compared with the €40-plus monthly jumps many households endured in 2023-24, yet advocacy groups argue that any increase matters to families already juggling medical costs, accessibility renovations and often single-income budgets.

Why the reference rate still matters—despite the tiny rise

Even after the revision, the TRCB sits well below its early-2024 peak of 4.504 %. That buffer has made subsidised credit one of the few remaining ways to secure an all-in mortgage rate below 3 %. With standard variable-rate loans hovering between 4 % and 4.5 %, the scheme can shave hundreds of euros per year off interest expenditure, provided borrowers meet the stringent eligibility rules.

Can you still secure a subsidised mortgage?

Yes, but hurdles persist. Since 2002 banks have been free to refuse new applications. In practice only a handful of lenders market the product and approval times can stretch beyond three months because medical certificates, property evaluations and maximum-income checks must all align. For families that already hold a conventional mortgage, the law allows conversion into the subsidised regime once disability is certified; outstanding capital must fall under €190,000 and the loan-to-value below 90 %.

Growing pressure for broader housing support

The Portuguese Association of Disabled Persons (APD) plans to lobby parliament during the 2026 budget debate for a national stock of adapted, affordable dwellings funded by municipalities and overseen by the IHRU. Their manifesto also calls for stricter enforcement of accessibility rules in new builds and public space. Law-makers are reportedly weighing whether to extend subsidised-loan eligibility to immediate family members who act as legal custodians.

Practical steps before you apply

Collect documentation early—multi-purpose medical certificate, latest IRS return, proof of income and property valuation.

Shop around, not only among the two banks that openly advertise the product. Smaller mutuals occasionally grant exceptions.

Run simulations using the new 2.623 % rate to gauge sensitivity to further Euribor shifts.

Insert disability-related upgrades—such as lifts, ramps or bathroom adaptations—into the financing plan; they are covered under the same cap.

The bottom line

The semester-on-semester bump in the TRCB shaves only fractions of a percentage point off the interest discount, but the symbolic message is clearer: subsidised credit remains a rare, valuable tool in an otherwise unforgiving mortgage market. Securing it demands patience and paperwork, yet for households meeting the 60 % incapacity threshold, the savings still dwarf the minor uptick announced for 2026.