Chamber approves text of the MP of the Bolsa Família and which guarantees additional to the Gas Aid – 05/30/2023 – Market

The Chamber of Deputies approved on Tuesday night (30) the text of the provisional measure (MP) that recreates the Bolsa Família program, one of President Lula’s (PT) great promises during the election campaign. The MP will proceed to the Senate.

The text was approved in a symbolic way, that is, when there is no nominal record of votes. Initially, the PL, from former president Jair Bolsonaro, had submitted a request to remove the matter from the agenda of the session, but withdrew.

The MP, which had already been voted on in a mixed commission (with deputies and senators) on the last 10th, would expire on June 29th.

One of the main changes made by the rapporteur, federal deputy Dr. Francisco (PT-PI), in the commission’s vote was the inclusion of breastfeeding women in the target public of the additional benefit of R$ 50 per month. The original text extended the bonus to children and adolescents from 7 to 18 years old and pregnant women.

The report also authorized program beneficiaries to take out payroll loans, being able to commit up to 35% of the monthly amount of the aid in the payment of installments – compared to 45% for INSS (National Social Security Institute) beneficiaries. Of this percentage, 30% can be allocated only to loans and financing and 5% to payroll credit card expenses.

The approved text also provides for the continuity of payment of the extra 50% of the value of the gas cylinder for beneficiaries of the Gas Aid program.

Such as Sheet showed, with the risk of the MP not being converted into law in the necessary time, the government is already working on the possibility of issuing a decree to guarantee the payment of this additional.

This, according to the Ministry of Social Development, should prevent 5.7 million families from having their Gas Aid amount reduced.

The version approved by the House also provides that the Executive may edit a rule to make it easier for a family to accumulate the BPC (Benefit of Continuous Provision), paid to the elderly and people with low-income disabilities, and the Bolsa Família.

The idea is that, in the future, the amount received by the BPC will not be considered when assessing whether a family has the income required to be a beneficiary of Bolsa Família.

There was an articulation in Congress for this measure to take effect immediately. However, faced with the impact of a possible impact of BRL 19 billion, the government entered the field and reached an agreement for the device to postpone implementation – as it will depend on an act by the Executive itself.

In April, President Lula fulfilled his campaign promise and relaunched Bolsa Família in the first hundred days of his administration. Families with a monthly income of up to R$ 218 per person can receive the benefit.

The new Bolsa Família format provides an additional amount of R$ 50 for families with pregnant women, children and young people between 7 and 18 years old. This extra benefit has not yet taken effect.

Technicians from the Ministry of Development and Social Assistance say that Caixa’s system, which is responsible for making Bolsa Família payments, is being updated and, in June, this complement will start to be deposited.

With this, the average value per family in the social program will reach the R$ 714 expected by the government.

The monthly income is currently estimated at R$ 670 per family. At the end of 2021, when then-president Jair Bolsonaro (PL) switched from Bolsa Família to Auxílio Brasil, the average benefit was approximately R$ 242 per month.

Ministry calculations indicate that, on average, the new Bolsa Família will serve around 20.8 million homes this year.