President Jair Bolsonaro published, in an extra edition of Official Diary of the Union this Friday (5), a decree that readjusts the limits for classifying families in situations of poverty and extreme poverty and the value of the basic benefits of the Bolsa Família Program. The new values will be taken into account for the definition of the payment of Auxílio Brasil, which will replace the Bolsa Família from the 17th, incorporating a 17.84% increase in the average ticket. The average benefit amount will rise to R$ 217.18 per month.
Under the decree, families with a per capita income of up to R$100 will be considered to be in extreme poverty; those with a per capita income of up to R$200 are now considered to be in poverty. At Bolsa Família, the values were, respectively, R$89 and R$178 per person. The basic benefits of Bolsa Família for families in extreme poverty go from R$ 41 to R$ 49 and the variable installments go from R$ 41 to R$ 49. The Variable Benefit Linked to Adolescents goes from R$ 48 to R$ 57. In Auxílio Brasil, the basic structure was simplified to Early Childhood Benefit, Family Composition Benefit and Benefit for Overcoming Extreme Poverty.
As of Monday (8), Bolsa Família will be revoked and replaced by Auxílio Brasil. According to the government, with the transition of the programs, all Bolsa Família beneficiaries will receive the adjusted amounts automatically.
The readjustment of basic benefits will be permanently incorporated into the program and is not related to the minimum amount of R$ 400 per family provided for Brazil Aid in 2022. The payment of this amount, expected to be paid in December retroactive to November, depends the approval of the Proposed Amendment to the Constitution 23/2021, the PEC dos Precatórios, in Congress.
The basic PEC text was approved in the first round in the Chamber this week and the voting of the highlights and the second round is scheduled for Tuesday. The text still has to go through two votes in the Senate. The amount of R$ 400 of the Auxílio Brasil is temporary and will last until December 31, 2022.
Payments for Auxílio Brasil begin on November 17 for around 14.6 million families. All people already registered will receive the benefit automatically, following the usual Bolsa Família calendar. There is no need to re-register.
