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After Luciano Huck’s comments about Bolsa Família beneficiaries, Wellington Dias stated that 5.1 million families have left the program since 2023 following an income increase and advocated for results linked to work, education, and entrepreneurship
5.1 million families have left Bolsa Família since 2023 after increasing their income, according to Minister Wellington Dias of Development and Social Assistance, Family and Fight Against Hunger. The statement was made in response to comments by Luciano Huck about the program, which associated the beneficiaries’ permanence with a lack of incentive to leave the benefit.
Bolsa Família became the center of debate after Luciano Huck’s comments
The controversy began after Luciano Huck stated, during a private event, that in municipalities where Bolsa Família accounts for 56% of the economy, there would be little incentive for families to leave the program.
The presenter also declared that beneficiaries would seek “shortcuts” to remain in Bolsa Família “ad aeternum,” a Latin expression meaning forever. After the repercussion, Huck publicly apologized, according to Wellington Dias.
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While millions live on Bolsa Família, Luciano Huck, a Globo presenter, says that beneficiaries create ‘workarounds’ to never leave the program and claims that the benefit does not encourage anyone to work.
The minister countered the statement by defending that recent data shows the opposite movement. For him, the exit of millions of families from the program after an income increase contradicts the idea of indefinite permanence.
Minister says 15 million people have surpassed the condition to receive the benefit
According to Wellington Dias, the 5.1 million families that have left Bolsa Família since 2023 represent about 15 million people who have surpassed the necessary condition to remain in the program.
“Just from 2023 onwards, 5.1 million families have risen out of poverty. They left Bolsa Família because they started working,” stated the minister.
Dias linked the discussion to a historical prejudice against the poorer population. “It is necessary to take advantage of facts like this so that we can once and for all bury the prejudice against the poorer,” he said.
The minister also stated that the remark was “ugly” and mentioned Luciano Huck’s apology. According to him, this view is still present in Brazilian society.
“It was ugly, so much so that [Luciano Huck] came forward to apologize. Unfortunately, this is still very ingrained. I am from a generation where people worked in exchange for a plate of food“, he added.
Cited studies point to poverty alleviation and social improvement
To defend the results of Bolsa Família, Wellington Dias mentioned studies and social indicators. A survey by the Getulio Vargas Foundation, in partnership with the World Bank, indicates that, among the first generation of beneficiaries, about 20 million Brazilians, approximately 70% left the condition of poverty.
According to the minister, this exit occurred mainly through education. He also cited data from the United Nations Development Programme, which indicate an improvement in Brazil’s socioeconomic profile.
According to the most recent release mentioned by Dias, the country reached a Human Development Index of 0.805 and joined the group of countries with “very high” human development.
“The study itself points out that one of the main foundations was Bolsa Família,” stated the minister.
Cadastro Único gathers 5.9 million small entrepreneurs
Another point highlighted by Wellington Dias was entrepreneurship among people registered in Cadastro Único. Data from Sebrae cited by the minister show that 5.9 million registered individuals operate as small entrepreneurs.
The activities include beauty salons, small markets, and service provision. According to Dias, part of these beneficiaries advanced to the status of employer.
“About 1.3 million people employed today work for someone who, until recently, was part of Bolsa Família,” he said.
The minister also stated that more than 6 million Brazilians have moved up to classes A, B, and C since the program’s creation, reinforcing the relationship between income transfer, work, and the expansion of family income.
Rules include health, school, and family monitoring
According to Wellington Dias, Bolsa Família is not limited to the monthly payment. The average amount transferred to families is about R$ 700, used for purchasing food and accessing complementary benefits.
Among these benefits are the social electricity tariff, the gas voucher, and the Popular Pharmacy program, as mentioned by the minister.
To receive Bolsa Família, families need to fulfill requirements in the areas of health and education. The monitoring begins during pregnancy, focusing on the mother and the baby, and continues through childhood, with monitoring of children’s development.
Enrollment and school attendance are also required, along with continuous monitoring of the students. According to the minister, these rules aim to link income transfer, education, and health as pathways to overcome poverty in the long term.
This article was prepared based on information from the provided source material, with data, numbers, and statements preserved as per the consulted material.
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