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INSS Publishes Normative Instruction 188/2025 and Confirms That Time Worked in Childhood Can Be Recognized for Retirement.
On July 8, 2025, Brazil marked a milestone in the history of Social Security with the publication of Normative Instruction No. 188/2025 from INSS in the Official Gazette. The measure brought profound changes for policyholders, highlighting the unprecedented possibility of recognizing time worked in childhood as part of the retirement calculation. This innovation directly addresses the reality of millions of Brazilians who, from the mid-20th century to the 2000s, started working as children — whether in family farms, local commerce, or informal activities in cities.
Until now, this period was ignored in benefit granting processes, perpetuating injustices and delaying retirement for workers who contributed, from a very young age, to the national economy.
What Normative Instruction 188/2025 Says
The IN 188/2025 was published by INSS with the aim of updating and consolidating rules related to the recognition of links and contribution time.
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One of the most impactful points is the possibility of proving service time worked in childhood — as long as there are documents or material evidence demonstrating the actual activity.
In practice, this means that workers who started working before the age of 16, the current minimum age allowed by the Constitution for regular work (except for apprentices from the age of 14), will be able to use this time to anticipate retirement.
The Reality of Child Labor in Brazil
According to data from IBGE, more than 1.8 million children and adolescents still work in Brazil. But this phenomenon is not recent: for decades, especially in rural areas, it was common for children to help early in family farms, plantations, and livestock.
Although there is now a strong fight against child labor, the fact is that millions of Brazilians who are about to retire started their journeys in childhood — without a formal work record, without a formal contract, and often without social security contributions.
Until now, these periods were sidelined in the calculation, putting the worker at a disadvantage. With the new regulation, there is a possibility to correct this historical distortion.
How to Prove Service Time in Childhood
The recognition is not automatic: it will be necessary to present documentary evidence that demonstrates the activity performed. Among the documents accepted by INSS are:
- Birth or marriage certificates that include the parents’ profession and the family’s agricultural activity;
- Declarations issued by rural unions;
- Invoices for the sale of products registered in the family’s name;
- Testimonies in judicial processes confirming the activity performed;
- School records proving the student’s affiliation with agricultural programs;
- Documents from class entities evidencing the practice of work.
The Normative Instruction reinforces that each case will be analyzed individually, always focusing on the materiality of the presented evidence.
Direct Impact on Retirement
The measure may accelerate the retirement of thousands of Brazilians. Imagine a worker who started helping their parents in farming at the age of 12 and remained in that situation for four years. Previously, this period would hardly be included in the social security calculation. Now, with IN 188/2025, these four years can be validated and added to the contribution time.
This means that many policyholders will be able to:
- Reduce the waiting time for retirement due to age or contribution time;
- Increase the benefit amount, as the calculation will now include more years of activity;
- Avoid rejections due to lack of minimum required time.
Relation to the Constitution and the CLT
Although the Constitution of 1988 and the CLT establish the minimum age for work, INSS’s understanding aligns with a perspective of social reparation.
The objective is not to legitimize or encourage child labor, but to recognize that it existed and that it generated indirect contributions to family and national economy.
The Supreme Court has already analyzed cases in which the Justice recognized periods of rural activity performed by minors under 16 years, provided that they are duly proven. The Normative Instruction consolidates this administrative practice and provides greater legal security to policyholder requests.
Challenges and Controversies
Despite the progress, the change also presents challenges. One of them is the difficulties in proving childhood activity, as many workers do not have formal documents from that time. In addition, there are criticisms that recognition could encourage the exploitation of early labor in the future.
However, INSS emphasizes that the goal is to exclusively correct historical distortions for those who are already of retirement age and not to relax labor legislation for current youth.
Expectations of Policyholders
Representative entities of rural and urban workers celebrated the measure, considering it a victory after years of demands. Social security lawyers highlight that IN 188/2025 opens new possibilities for benefit review and can especially benefit those whose retirement requests were denied due to lack of contribution time.
The expectation is that thousands of policyholders will request a re-evaluation of their processes in the coming months, which may increase demand at INSS.
The publication of Normative Instruction 188/2025 represents more than a technical change. It is a act of justice for millions of Brazilians who, as children, helped their families and supported the economy during difficult times.
Now, this effort will no longer be invisible. INSS recognizes that every day of work, even in childhood, counts toward retirement. It is the reparation of a social debt that the country had with its older workers.
At a time when Brazil is constantly debating reforms and adjustments in social security, the measure emerges as a breath of hope and recognition: those who started early will finally have their time valued when retiring.
Eu trabalhei desde os oitos anos na roça colhendo algodão depois aos dez anos, fui babá e doméstica mas não tenho como provar porque os patrões já morreram e estou na luta pra conseguir se aposentar, muitas burocracia
Muitas crianças trabalharamm desde os 8,9 anos de idade hoje adultos é notável no corpo as marcas desse hábito, nao foi um malefício porq temos pessoas q valorizaram o trabalho, ao contrário de hoje que vemos crianças e adolescentes “deitados na cama ” esperando tudo na boca e saudáveis. A legislação precisa rever essa história de trabalho infantil, ao invés de fiscalizaram o q nao presta formalizem uma contribuição para futuramente possa usufruir , daq um tempo nao teremos mão de obra nem qualificada nem desqualificada.
Estou passando por esse processo com com minha mãe. Faltam um ano e meio
Ela trabalhou desde os 9 anos na roça. Como comprovar isso com fotos e documentos lá de Pernambuco? Jesus