The Minister of Development and Social Assistance, Family and Combating Hunger, Wellington Dias, stated that 5.1 million Bolsa Família beneficiaries have already left the program, since 2023, after increasing family income. According to Dias, this represents direct aid to around 15 million people.
The statement, made this Wednesday (27) during the Good Morning, Minister program, contradicts the idea that beneficiaries would try to remain in the program indefinitely. Bom Dia, Minister is produced by Empresa Brasil de Comunicação (EBC).
“From 2023 alone, 5.1 million families have left poverty. They left Bolsa Família because they started working”, said the minister.
The data presented by Dias counters recent criticism made by TV presenter Luciano Huck, who suggested that some of the beneficiaries seek to remain in the program “forever”.
For Wellington Dias, this type of perception is associated with historical prejudices against the poorest sections of the Brazilian population.
“It is necessary to take advantage of facts like this so that we can bury once and for all the prejudice we have towards the poorest”, he stated.
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“It was ugly, so much so that [Luciano Huck] came out publicly to apologize. Unfortunately this is still very ingrained. I come from a generation where people worked in exchange for a plate of food,” he added.
Studies
The minister cited a series of studies to support the effectiveness of the program. A survey by Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV) in partnership with the World Bank shows that, among the first generation of beneficiaries — around 20 million Brazilians — approximately 70% left poverty, mainly through education.
Furthermore, data from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) indicates an improvement in the country’s socioeconomic profile. According to the most recent release mentioned by the minister, Brazil achieved a Human Development Index (HDI) of 0.805, joining the group of countries with “very high” development.
“The study itself points out that one of the main foundations was Bolsa Família”, said the minister.
Another highlighted indicator was entrepreneurship. Data from the Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service (Sebrae) show that 5.9 million registered in the Single Registry work as small entrepreneurs, in activities such as beauty salons and grocery stores.
According to the minister, some of these beneficiaries became employers: “Around 1.3 million people employed today work for someone who, until the other day, was on Bolsa Família”.
Middle class
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The minister also stated that more than 6 million Brazilians have moved up to classes A, B and C since the creation of Bolsa Família, reinforcing the program’s role in expanding the middle class.
“What President Lula wants is a country with a large middle class,” he said, remembering that the Brazilian model of income transfer is already adopted or studied by around 140 countries, including developed nations.
According to the minister, the average amount paid to families is around R$700 per month. With this resource, he added, it is possible to buy food and access social energy tariffs, gas vouchers and programs such as Farmácia Popular, among others.
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Counterparts
To access Bolsa Família, it is necessary to fulfill counterparts in the areas of health and education.
According to Minister Wellington Dias, monitoring begins during pregnancy, focusing on the health of the mother and baby, and continues throughout childhood, including monitoring the development of children.
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In the educational area, enrollment and school attendance are required, in addition to continuous monitoring of students.
This set of requirements, according to him, is part of one of the pillars of the program, by ensuring that, in addition to income, there is investment in education and health, creating conditions for families to overcome poverty over time.
