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Government Changes Bolsa Família Rule, Cuts 101 Thousand Benefits, and Expects Savings of R$ 59 Million
A change in the rules for remaining in Bolsa Família is expected to lead to the disconnection of 101 thousand families from the program this year.
The estimate comes from the Ministry of Social Development (MDS), which calculates savings of R$ 59 million by December with the new criteria.
The data was obtained by the newspaper O Globo through the Access to Information Law.
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The main change is in the so-called protection rule, which allowed beneficiaries to remain in the program even after an increase in income. Previously, this period was two years. Now, it has been reduced to just one year.
Additionally, the income ceiling for accessing this rule has also decreased. In 2023, the limit was half a minimum wage. In 2025, this ceiling will be R$ 706, which is lower than the previous level of R$ 759.
According to the MDS, these measures are part of a budget adjustment strategy focused on the most vulnerable population.
The goal is to ensure the sustainability of the program, which has suffered a R$ 7.7 billion cut in this year’s budget.
Change in the Transition Period
The protection rule was created to prevent a sudden cut in assistance for families that secure jobs or start businesses.
With it, even if income exceeds the limit of R$ 218 per person, the benefit continues to be partially paid.
The most recent change reduced this transition period from 24 to 12 months.
Families with stable and permanent income, such as retirement, pensions, or the Continued Cash Benefit (BPC), will now have the right to only two months of protection.
According to government data, the reduction in the transition period will still have a limited impact in 2024. The expectation is that this effect will concentrate in 2026.
For this year, the estimate is that 8 thousand families with permanent income will leave the program each month between July and December. Since the average benefit in these cases is R$ 336.77, the expected savings by the end of the year is R$ 17.6 million.
Immediate Impact Will Come from Income
The majority of the savings this year will come from the change in the income limit of the protection rule. The new ceiling, of R$ 706 per person, is expected to cause 15,403 cancellations just in the June payroll.
With an average benefit of R$ 671 per family, the expected savings for this month is R$ 10.3 million.
In the following months, the government projects 7,701 disconnections per month. This would raise the savings until December to R$ 41.3 million, based solely on the new income limit.
In total, adding both fronts—cutting the duration of stay and reducing the ceiling—the savings will reach R$ 59 million by the end of 2024.
Focus on Those Who Need It Most
According to the MDS, the changes aim to improve the targeting of Bolsa Família. That is, to ensure that resources reach families that are truly in situations of poverty or extreme poverty.
With a reduced budget, the ministry argues that the changes are necessary to maintain the effectiveness of the program and reduce the waiting list. Furthermore, the government states that the changes were planned based on technical studies, including recommendations from the World Bank and internal analyses.
In the documents obtained by the newspaper, the MDS states that the new duration of 12 months for the protection rule was defined considering the time needed for a worker to access unemployment insurance. Thus, even in the event of dismissal, the family would not be without any source of income immediately.
Result of Access to the Labor Market
The government points out that most families entering the protection rule have managed to increase their income with formal employment.
According to the latest data, 90% of families demonstrated income growth upon entering this stage.
The average duration of stay in this condition is eight months. For the MDS, this indicates that the transition is working and that the incentive for autonomy with security has yielded results.
Another piece of data that reinforces this argument is the balance of the General Register of Employed and Unemployed (Caged). In 2024, 75.5% of the signed work positions created in the country were filled by beneficiaries of Bolsa Família.
Resources Remain in the Program
Despite the cuts, the government asserts that the resources saved will not be diverted to other areas. According to the official note from the MDS, the idea is to reallocate the amounts to reinforce Bolsa Família itself.
The logic is to free up budget space to include new beneficiaries and broaden the program’s reach, prioritizing those who are truly below the poverty line.
Moreover, the ministry seeks to strengthen the safety net through the participation of states and municipalities.
One of the fronts is the expansion of professional qualification programs to facilitate beneficiaries’ entry into the job market.
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