The Ombudsperson has been monitoring the issue of citizen services in public services. Approximately a year and a half after the publication of the thematic report, and based on its 25 recommendations, the Ombudsperson’s Office has completed a Follow-up Report, published today, 14 October 2025. It addresses the same broad areas analysed in 2023, namely information for citizens, waiting times,…

The Ombudsman has sent an official letter to the Secretary of State for Housing, highlighting serious irregularities in both the framework and the implementation of the extraordinary rent support scheme, and calling for its urgent revision. This initiative follows a significant volume of complaints revealing systemic failures, some of which had already been flagged in the last two annual…

On 18 July, the Ministry of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security informed the Ombudsperson of its “full acceptance” of Recommendation No. 2/B/2025 of 7 May, which called for the correction of irregular practices by Social Security when demanding the repayment of unduly processed social benefits, as well as a review of the respective legal regime. These are practices that have…

The Ombudsman has published a Thematic Report on noise control which identifies the main problems found and presents a set of recommendations on an issue which, despite its significant impact on public health and quality of life in Portugal, is often undervalued by the public authorities, which contributes to a certain lack of civic awareness of the issue. Under the…

The Ombudsperson’s Office has suggested that the National Directorate of the Public Security Police (PSP) improve practices in the planning of police operations, in order to guarantee the predictability, rationality and proportionality of police action. The Ombudsman’s intervention followed the analysis of complaints about a police operation in December 2024. The suggestions result from the attention given to the requirements…

The Ombudsperson has addressed a recommendation to the President of the Regional Government of the Azores, calling for the urgent regulation of Regional Legislative Decree 39/2023/A, of 23 November, which establishes support measures for people diagnosed with Machado-Joseph disease. The initiative is the result of analysing complaints submitted by those affected, who denounce the lack of regulation as an obstacle…