“In the first semester of 2023, the average deferral time for pensions was 23 days,” which compares to 54 days in 2022, the institute stated in a statement to Lusa.

The ISS’s information comes after Jornal de Negócios had gone forward with a publication citing the average time spent deciding on pensions to have increased to 151 days in 2022, 31 more than the year before.

The ISS has since explained that they’ve updated the 2022 activities report, as “the preliminary version contained inaccuracies in the data relative to average pension deferral time,” not considering the automatic deferrals by Pensão na Hora.

Taking Pensão na Hora, a system that allows a provisional deferral within 24 hours that’s available until a definitive one is acquired, into account, the institute confirms there’s been a shortening in the average deferral time.

“In 2022, the average deferral time for these pensions shortened to 54 days, a decrease of 40 days relative to 2021 and 56 days relative to 2020,” the ISS statement reads. In 2022, 37 788 pensions were deferred with the quick deferral system, which represents 51% of the retirement pensions attributed, the institute added. According to the statement, in 2021 75 thousand pensions were given out through Pensão na Hora.