Social Security started 2022 with the challenge of zeroing the queues. At the end of last year, about 1.8 million Brazilians had requests for retirement, pensions and aid under analysis. The lack of public servants to analyze the processes and the partial stoppage of medical expertise caused by the pandemic are the main factors.
According to a recent survey by the Brazilian Institute of Social Security Rights (IBDP), 1,838,459 benefit requests were awaiting a response in December. The non-profit civil organization obtained the answers through an application to the INSS.
Of the total requests under analysis, around 500,000 relate to the Continuous Cash Benefit (BPC) for people with disabilities. Regarding medical expertise, the INSS informed the IDBP that 457,800 policyholders had an appointment scheduled in December.
Through an agreement ratified with the Federal Supreme Court (STF), the INSS committed to analyzing the cases within a maximum period of 30 to 90 days, depending on the type of benefit requested, and to carry out medical and social assistance assessments in up to 45 days, up to 90 days in hard-to-reach places. At the end of 2021, about 900,000 cases were within the deadline and 900,000 were delayed in relation to the one set by the Supreme Court.
Upon taking office in November, the president of the INSS, José Carlos Oliveira, promised to zero the queue until July this year. The promise, however, is ambitious.
Considering the stock of about 900 thousand processes in delay, the INSS will need to analyze 131 thousand extra requests per month to eliminate the queue. Currently, the agency receives, on average, 800,000 requests per month – including benefit entries, expertise and appointments – and processes around 700,000.
Historic
The stock of cases under analysis was 2.3 million at the end of 2019. The queue dropped to 1.5 million in 2020, but rose again in 2021. In response to the IBDP, the INSS informed that it is implementing a series of measures to accelerate the analysis of processes, such as investment in automation, training of employees and relocation of servers from other areas to analyze the benefits, increasing production capacity by 22%.
According to the INSS, 25% of the queue is due to the lack of presentation of documents by the insured. Regarding medical expertise, the agency reported that it had managed to reduce the total number of people waiting for consultations by about 300,000 since March last year. That month, the list of scheduled forensics was at 764,200.
Pandemic
The emergence of the Ômicron variant of the new coronavirus represented an obstacle to clearing the queue of expertise. About ten days ago, the INSS suspended the expertise of the Disability Benefits Review Program, formerly sick pay. The suspended appointments were rescheduled for the second semester, and no insured person will stop receiving the benefit, which will continue to be paid normally until the review.
At the same time, the INSS is trying to invest in telemedicine to maintain the flow of expertise. The agency issued an ordinance authorizing video conference consultations in ten cities: Francisco Morato (SP), Minas Novas (MG), Vassouras (RJ), Santo Augusto (RS), Olhos D’Água das Flores (AL), Corrente (PI), Pedro Gomes (MS), Ji Paraná (RO), Lábrea (AM) and Botas de Macaúbas (BA). The pilot experience will last for 90 days.
