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Project presented in the Senate proposes changing the calculation of family income for the BPC, allowing transition for employed beneficiaries and considering essential expenses not covered by the public network
The government is considering a change that could alter how family income is calculated for access and maintenance of the Continuous Cash Benefit (BPC). The proposal was presented in the Senate by Senator Roberta Acioly (Republicans-RR) and seeks to allow beneficiaries to maintain payment even after securing a new formal job.
According to the Senate Agency, in a publication dated June 2, 2026, the project proposes that the amount received in a new job link be disregarded in the calculation of the family’s per capita income. However, this rule applies when the salary of the new job is at most one minimum wage, equivalent to R$ 1,621 in 2026.
The measure, therefore, tries to prevent the beneficiary from automatically losing the BPC upon entering the job market. Additionally, the text creates a kind of transition for cases where income exceeds the stipulated limit.
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New rule may keep the BPC even after formal employment
According to the project presented in the Senate, when the salary of the new link exceeds one minimum wage, the benefit can still be maintained for up to 12 months. After this period, however, the beneficiary will undergo a social reassessment.
Thus, the proposal follows a logic similar to the Transition Rule of Bolsa Família. In other words, the beneficiary does not immediately lose social protection just because they started working.
According to the Senate Agency, the text also provides that temporary income variations be considered in the family assessment. In this case, the average income received over the last 12 months may be used when this calculation better represents the family’s socioeconomic condition.
Essential expenses may also be deducted from income
In addition to the change in income calculation, the project also allows continuous and proven expenses to be deducted from family income. Therefore, essential expenses for the beneficiary may weigh less in the BPC analysis.
Among the expected expenses are medical treatments, specialized therapies, medications, special diet, assistive technologies, and other essential expenses. However, these amounts can only be deducted when they are not provided by the Unified Health System (SUS) or the public social assistance network.
In this way, the proposal attempts to bring the income calculation closer to the reality experienced by families facing permanent costs. Furthermore, the project seeks to consider situations where formal income alone does not reflect social vulnerability.
Who receives the Continuous Cash Benefit today
The BPC pays a minimum wage per month to elderly people aged 65 or older who do not receive a pension. Additionally, the benefit also serves people with disabilities who prove low income.
Currently, family income per person must be, at most, one-quarter of the minimum wage. In 2026, this limit corresponds to R$ 405.25 per family member.
Therefore, the project does not create a new benefit. In practice, it proposes to change the criteria used to assess family income and program permanence.
Change puts income, work, and social protection at the center of the debate
The proposal presented by Senator Roberta Acioly places the BPC at the center of a discussion about work, vulnerability, and social assistance. After all, the text tries to balance entry into the formal market with the temporary maintenance of social protection.
By allowing permanence for up to 12 months in some cases, the project seeks to reduce the risk of immediate benefit cut-off. Furthermore, by considering essential expenses, the proposal expands the analysis of the real economic condition of families.
Now, the discussion in the Senate must determine whether the change will advance as an alternative for beneficiaries who start working but still live in low-income situations. After all, does a new income always mean the end of social vulnerability?
