The Chief Minister of the Civil House, announced this Thursday (28) a set of measures to tighten access to the Continuous Payment Benefit (BPC). According to him, the actions seek to ensure compliance with legislation and reduce the judicialization of the social program.
SEE ALSO:
- Pacheco announces priority for cutting government spending in the Senate
Currently, BPC serves more than 6 million low-income people, including seniors over 65 and people with disabilities, guaranteeing the payment of a minimum wage. However, of the 3 million people with disabilities who benefit, 1 million are not registered in the International Disease Code (ICD). According to the minister, 75% of these concessions were made by court decisions.
“The program is in the law for people with disabilities. It is necessary to prove the person’s disability”, stated Rui Costa, explaining that, from 2025, medical expertise will be required from beneficiaries to confirm the right to the benefit.
Since 2016, registration in the Single Registry for Social Programs (CadÚnico) is mandatory to access the BPC, in addition to registration updates every two years. Rui Costa revealed that more than 500 thousand people were off the register, the majority included in the previous government.
The Ministry of Development and Social Assistance (MDS) notified these beneficiaries, granting deadlines between 45 and 90 days, depending on the municipality, to regularize the situation. If the requirements are not met, beneficiaries may lose their right to BPC.
The Single Registry is managed by city halls and allows the identification of low-income families in Brazil, being essential for access to various social programs.
Income Tax and campaign promise
During the press conference, Rui Costa also defended President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s decision to exempt taxpayers with income of up to R$5,000 per month from Income Tax (IR) from 2026, as per his campaign promise. Currently, the exemption covers income of up to R$2,259.20.
“This commitment was legitimized by the polls”, highlighted Costa, criticizing financial speculation and reinforcing that the government is fulfilling what was announced in the electoral campaign.
The changes to the BPC and the IR exemption are part of a broader package of mandatory spending cuts, announced by the Minister of Finance, Fernando Haddad. The measures include adjustments to social programs such as BPC and Bolsa Família, seeking to balance public accounts.
The announcement had an impact on the financial market, with the dollar surpassing R$5.90, reaching the highest price since the Real Plan, and the Stock Exchange falling more than 1.5%.
