The Social Security changes from Tuesday, September 1, 2026, the way of communicating with certain citizens. The entry into force of Order ISM/541/2026 expands the number of people required to receive notifications and communications from the National Institute of Social Security (INSS) through electronic means.
The main change affects people who are in a situation of temporary disability, that is, on sick leave. Notifications related to permanent disability and non-disabling permanent injuries also move to the new system. The Social Security itself already warns on its electronic headquarters that these communications will be telematic from September 1.
The reform has caused some confusion in recent weeks. The Social Security does not eliminate all paper letters nor does it require all pensioners to use the internet. What the regulation does is expand the groups subject to mandatory electronic notification.
Who will stop receiving the usual paper notifications
The main novelty affects individuals who request or receive a benefit for temporary disability.
From September 1, resolutions and communications related to these sick leaves will be made available to the interested party in the Electronic Headquarters of Social Security (SEDESS).
The electronic route will also apply when a communication is related to:
- Temporary disability.
- Permanent disability.
- Non-disabling permanent injuries.
The change adds to other groups that were already required to receive certain communications electronically, such as applicants or recipients of benefits for birth and care of minors, risk during pregnancy, and risk during natural breastfeeding.
Companies, self-employed included in the RED System, certain licensed professionals, and representatives or attorneys were also previously within the electronic notification system.
Pensioners, widows, and IMV beneficiaries can continue receiving letters
The change does not generally affect all pensioners. Those who receive communications related to pensions for retirement, widowhood, or orphanhood are excluded from this expansion, as long as they are not required by another circumstance to interact electronically with the Administration.
Neither are the recipients of family benefits or the Minimum Vital Income (IMV) incorporated by this reform. Non-contributory pensions, for their part, have their own regime of autonomous management and unemployment corresponds to the SEPE.
Therefore, the idea that "since September, Social Security stops sending letters" is incorrect. Postal mail continues to exist for numerous procedures and groups.
Ten days to open a notification
One of the most important aspects for those entering the new system is the deadline to consult the notices.
When Social Security makes a notification available to the citizen in its electronic headquarters, the citizen has ten calendar days to access it.
If those ten days pass without the interested party consulting the content, the regulations establish that the notification will be understood as rejected. For administrative purposes, the procedure continues and the corresponding deadlines for appealing or carrying out other actions may begin to be counted.
This makes it especially important to review the contact details associated with Social Security.
The Administration will send an informative notice to the mobile phone or email that the citizen has registered when there is a new notification. However, the absence of that notice does not invalidate the notification properly made available in the electronic headquarters by itself.
How to consult the new notifications
The communications can be consulted in the section of Telematic Notifications of the Electronic Headquarters of Social Security.
They can also be found through My Citizen Folder and the single Enabled Electronic Address (DEHú), according to Social Security itself.
To identify oneself, there are different options, including electronic certificate and Cl@ve systems. However, there is an important particularity for disability benefits: when the notification contains especially protected data, such as health information, it can only be consulted through electronic certificate or Cl@ve Permanente.
For this reason, individuals who are currently on sick leave or have an open disability procedure should check before September 1 that they have a valid identification system and that their contact details are updated.
The paper will continue to be used in certain cases
The new regulation also introduces safeguards to prevent a person from being without access to communication due to not having digital means.
Although a citizen is included among those required to receive electronic notifications, Social Security may use non-electronic means when it does not have digital contact data to send the corresponding notice.
It may also resort to paper or a personal delivery when the interested party spontaneously goes to a Social Security Attention and Information Center and requests to receive the communication there, when direct delivery by a public employee is necessary or when the urgency of the procedure makes the electronic route inadequate.
In addition, certain documents that cannot be converted to electronic format or that include payment methods will necessarily remain outside the telematic system.
In-person assistance can be requested at the offices
Order ISM/541/2026 expressly incorporates the possibility for affected individuals by this extension to receive in-person assistance at the Social Security Attention and Information Centers (CAISS).
An official may help the citizen to validly access the Electronic Headquarters if they have difficulties using digital systems. The measure aims to reduce the risk of defenselessness among those who do not have sufficient knowledge to manage a telematic notification by themselves.
The Ministry justifies the change by the need to expedite especially sensitive procedures. Among them are the resolutions of medical discharge or denial of permanent disability, where the delay that postal mail can generate even affects the moment until which the payment of certain benefits is maintained.
Thus, from Tuesday, September 1, those processing or receiving a temporary disability must pay special attention to their electronic mailbox. The letters from Social Security do not disappear, but for these procedures, the screen will now replace postal mail as the main notification channel.