Towards inclusive service delivery through social investment in Portugal: An analysis of five sectors with a particular focus on early childhood education and care (ECEC)

Portugal was submitted to Troika Memorandum of Understanding (2012-2014) and fiscal consolidation measures were implemented to achieve efficiency costs. Spending cuts in education, health system and social security were performed. The access to social benefits such as family allowance, social insertion income, unemployment benefits was making more difficult and stringent. In a context of social crisis the numbers of recipients as well as the amounts have been reduced and expenditure in social policies also decreased.