Bolsa Família Updates in August: New Beneficiaries and Crucial Changes

Since its inception for the Brazilian people, Bolsa Família has undergone several changes. Recently, Ordinance 897 was issued, defining new guidelines for benefit management and introducing significant changes to the assistance plan.

Below, we will discuss these new developments and their impacts, which will come into effect this August. Take a look!

Bolsa Família Benefit Package

Read also: Check whether you were approved for Bolsa Família 2023. Learn how to check.

The published ordinance presents the benefits that enrolled families may receive, based on their family structure. The program's list of advantages includes:

• Early childhood benefit, an additional R$150, intended for children from 0 to 7 years old;
• Variable family benefit, a R$50 bonus for pregnant women, nursing mothers, children and adolescents from 7 to 18 years old;
• Sustenance and citizenship benefit, equivalent to the per capita amount per family member, of R$142;
• Supplementary benefit, offered to families whose total amount for their members does not reach R$600. This assistance covers the difference, ensuring that the family reaches the minimum amount of R$600 defined by the program.

These amounts will be delivered during the August payments, considering each family’s structure.

Protection Mechanism for Bolsa Família

We will now discuss the Protection Mechanism. Well, as many are aware, Bolsa Família serves households with a monthly income per person of up to R$ 218.00.

If the family income increases to the point of exceeding the program’s eligibility criterion, the Protection Mechanism will come into effect. In this situation, the household may still receive 50% of the total benefit, provided that the income per person does not exceed half the minimum wage, currently R$ 660.00.

This increase in family income may occur due to a member obtaining formal employment or, perhaps, because a young person begins receiving BPC. These amounts can be checked in the Cadastro Único app, which now incorporates all income information from CNIS (National Social Information Registry).

Thus, if your income exceeds R$ 218.00 per person but remains below R$ 660.00, you will receive only half of the amount previously received.

Information synchronization: progress toward Cadastro Único

The Ministry of Social Development (MDS) announced on its digital platforms the integration between the Unified Registry and the CNIS. This action represents an advance in the accuracy of information in the Unified Registry. Thus, families will be able to automatically resolve pending issues in income records, avoiding trips to CRAS.

This means that any change in earnings over the last year will automatically update the Unified Registry, integrating CNIS data. This simplifies the process, making it more accurate and straightforward.

In this way, you will have access to employment and social security benefits, BPC-LOAS, and other payments, such as the incarceration allowance, through the Unified Registry app.

However, if someone has experienced losses in the last 2 months, they should go to a Unified Registry office with supporting documents for an update.

It is important to emphasize that other crucial information, such as addresses and contact details, births or deaths in the family, is not updated automatically. Therefore, if changes occur, it is necessary to go to the Unified Registry or CRAS to update it.

Benefit for artisanal fishers

In July, payments of Bolsa Família were paused for households with artisanal fishers who receive the Artisanal Fisher’s Unemployment Insurance or Closed-Season Insurance.

According to the ordinance, the pause due to Closed-Season Insurance will last until January 1, 2024. Thus, until that date, Bolsa Família enrollees who receive Closed-Season Insurance will have their benefits temporarily paused.

If a family member receives Closed-Season Insurance for three months, Bolsa Família will be suspended for the same period.

Incorporation of new beneficiaries

Read also: Restructuring of Bolsa Família? Understand the changes with the current MP

After interruptions and cancellations, Bolsa Família resumed the inclusion of new beneficiaries. The MDS integrated more than 1 million new families into the program.

Through Busca Ativa, those who are eligible but have not yet benefited are being incorporated. The increase in the income limit to R$ 218 increased the number of eligible families.

It is essential to emphasize that inclusion still requires registration in the Cadastro Único, available funds, a vulnerability assessment, and compliance with the poverty profile.

In this context, if all requirements are met and the registration is correct, the person may be included in the Bolsa Família payment list.

At the same time, families with questionable registrations are put on hold and asked to update their information at CRAS.

Payments in August

Bolsa Família deposits will follow the official schedule, with no early payments. In August, they begin on the 18th for final NIS 1 and conclude on the 31st for final NIS 0.