INSS: BPC payroll comes to an end; understand – 03/06/2023 – Market

Banks and finance companies across the country can no longer offer payroll loans linked to the BPC (Continued Provision Benefit) of the INSS (National Social Security Institute). The BPC is an assistance benefit of one minimum wage (R$ 1,302 today) paid to the elderly and people with disabilities from low-income families.

The suspension of the loan – which was allowed in the Bolsonaro government – ​​is part of the provisional measure of the new Bolsa Família, published on March 2. This Monday (6), the INSS officialized the end of the credit operation, with publication in the Official Gazette.

In an ordinance that deals with the interruption of the operationalization of contracts, the institute states that financial institutions are “prevented from executing new annotations or commands that contemplate the operationalizations” of monthly payment of loans, financing, credit cards and leasing operations.

Since March 2022, BPC beneficiaries have been authorized to commit up to 40% of the benefit to the payroll loan, which is directly discounted from the payroll. The changes were part of the Income and Opportunity Program, a package of economic measures launched by the government in an election year, seeking to attract votes to former President Jair Bolsonaro.

The provisional measure amended article 26 of the law published in 2003, which had been modified by the MP of the Bolsonaro government, approved in Congress. With this, the legislation goes back to the way it was before, with the payroll loan approved only for those who are retired or pensioners of the INSS.

The release of credit to those who receive welfare benefits, which at the time included Auxílio Brasil, was a point that was highly criticized by specialists and became grounds for intervention by the Public Defender’s Office and other bodies for the protection of citizens’ rights.

Experts approve end of payroll at BPC

For lawyer Rômulo Saraiva, a pension specialist and columnist for Folha, the federal government’s initiative to interrupt contracts of this type and prohibit loans was successful. “It doesn’t make sense for beneficiaries of federal income transfer programs, people who somehow couldn’t plan to have financial autonomy, to have the government’s seal of approval to take out loans with demeaning interest rates”, he says.

“The measure channels the federal budget to be better applied, avoiding the over-indebtedness of families in social vulnerability.”

Roberto de Carvalho Santos, president of Ieprev (Institute of Social Security Studies), says that the ban protects the income of the most vulnerable. “The allegations are that this was being more harmful than positive. In addition, on a daily basis, we saw that these people suffered a lot of harassment from banks and financial institutions”, he says.

INSS limited credit to new beneficiaries

In June 2022, the INSS limited the contracting of payroll loans by new retirees and pensioners and also by BPC beneficiaries. New policyholders who now have access to assistance income could only take out a discounted loan directly from the payroll 90 days after granting the benefit.

The normative instruction also prohibited the offer of payroll by banks and financial institutions for up to 180 days (six months) from the date of granting the benefit. As a result, the insured person could not receive calls, SMS, WhatsApp or any type of advertising that would lead him to take out the loan.

WHO HAS THE RIGHT TO BPC

Workers enrolled in CadÚnico (Cadastro Único) who are part of a low-income family are entitled to receive the BPC even if they have never contributed to Social Security. For this, per capita income (per person) must be up to a quarter of the minimum wage.

The benefit is paid to:

• Elderly person aged 65 and over
• Disabled person, of any age, as long as they undergo expertise

Disability can be physical, mental, intellectual or sensory, making everyday life difficult for citizens.

HOW TO ORDER THE BPC

The benefit can be requested through the Meu INSS app or website, or by phone, at Central 135, from Monday to Saturday, from 7 am to 10 pm. It is necessary to apply for the “Assistance Benefit for the Elderly” or the “Assistance Benefit for Persons with Disabilities”.

The citizen needs to send the documents for analysis or, when scheduling an appointment at a Social Security agency, and take all the documentation that proves the right. It is necessary to be registered in CadÚnico.

For those who ask for the benefit to the disabled, an expertise will be scheduled. If the BPC is rejected, the insured person can appeal to the INSS service channels within 30 days after learning of the decision.

The request is denied when:

1. The income per person in the family does not meet the requirements for granting the benefit, making it unnecessary to assess the disability
2. Disability is not proven after carrying out the medical and social assessments, and income assessment is unnecessary