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Government begins to notify millions of INSS beneficiaries who did not have their proof of life automatically confirmed, in a step that requires attention to official channels, the blue check on WhatsApp, and secure ways of updating registration to avoid benefit issues.
About 15 million retirees, pensioners, and welfare beneficiaries have started to be notified by the Government of Brazil about the need to regularize the INSS proof of life, after the system did not find recent enough movements to automatically confirm the registration status of these insured individuals.
The communication is being made through the official WhatsApp of the Government of Brazil, identified with a blue verified account check, and also through the Gov.br app mailbox.
The alert is only for those not identified in the cross-referencing of public databases used by the National Institute of Social Security.
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The proof of life is the procedure used to confirm that the beneficiary is still alive and, thus, prevent fraud, registration inconsistencies, and improper payments.
Since January 2023, the INSS has been conducting this check preferably through automatic data cross-referencing, without requiring most insured individuals to make an annual visit to the bank or an agency.
Who needs to do the INSS proof of life
The notification does not mean that all INSS beneficiaries need to take immediate action.
According to the agency, the call is directed to insured individuals who did not have recent records found in the government databases used to automatically prove life.
This group includes retirees, pensioners, and people receiving welfare benefits or long-term aid, provided they have received the notice through official channels.
Those who did not receive a message on WhatsApp, an alert on Gov.br, or communication from the paying bank do not need to make a new proof at this time.
The aim of the measure is to update the registration status of these beneficiaries before the issue causes payment difficulties.
The government states that the message seeks to guide the insured to complete the proof of life through recognized channels and reduce the risk of scams against the elderly and vulnerable people.
Automatic proof of life cross-references government data
The INSS considers different interactions of the citizen with public services and official databases to confirm the proof of life.
When these movements are sufficient, the system itself records the update and keeps the registration regularized until the next verification cycle.
Among the accepted records are access to Meu INSS with a Gov.br gold level account, the execution of a payroll loan with biometrics, the withdrawal of benefits with biometric identification, and in-person or remote service at the institute’s own services.
Updates in the Cadastro Único made by the family head, the issuance or renewal of documents with physical presence or biometrics, and other interactions recorded in public databases shared with the federal government can also serve as proof of life.
Since Portaria MPS nº 723, of March 8, 2024, the benchmark used for counting is no longer necessarily the beneficiary’s birth month.
The INSS started considering the date of the last processed proof of life and has ten months to locate interactions in databases.
How to regularize the INSS proof of life
Those who received the notification can perform the proof of life at the bank where they receive the benefit or through the Meu INSS app, according to the conditions indicated for each case.
The Gov.br app may also allow validation by facial recognition when there is a pending issue available for the user.
In banks that offer facial or digital biometrics, the procedure can be done through the digital channels of the financial institution itself.
When this option is not available, the beneficiary should seek guidance at the paying bank or through the official INSS channels before traveling.
The registration status can be checked on the Meu INSS website or app, in the “Proof of Life” service.
When the proof is regularized, the system shows the date of the last update recognized by the institute.
Another possibility is to call the Central 135, which operates from Monday to Saturday, from 7 am to 10 pm.
This channel allows verifying information about the proof of life and guiding the beneficiary without the need to provide sensitive data outside official environments.
Official message on WhatsApp has a blue badge
The true alert is sent by the “Governo do Brasil” account on WhatsApp, with a blue verification badge.
The same communication should appear in the Gov.br app’s inbox, which helps the beneficiary confirm the authenticity of the notice received on the phone.
The government emphasizes that the official message does not contain links to click, does not ask for a password, CPF, address, bank details, or any type of payment.
If the message requires a transfer, Pix, deposit, or update via an external page, the guidance is to disregard the contact.
Via WhatsApp, the official communication only asks if the citizen wishes to continue receiving information from that government program.
Requests different from this pattern should be treated as suspicious, especially when they involve urgency, threat of immediate blocking, or request for personal documents.
Scams against beneficiaries require attention
The INSS does not send officials to beneficiaries’ homes to collect documents, photograph receipts, or perform proof of life.
The institute also does not make calls asking for passwords, payments, or full data confirmation to release benefits.
Scammers often take advantage of changes in public services to simulate official assistance, mainly through messaging apps.
Therefore, the insured should directly contact Meu INSS, Gov.br, Central 135, or the bank responsible for the payment before sharing any information.
Proof of life remains mandatory and annual, but the responsibility to seek information to confirm the beneficiary’s status has mostly shifted to the INSS.
In-person attendance is no longer the rule, although it can still be used as an alternative when necessary.
For those who have been summoned, regularization avoids registration issues and reduces the risk of future problems with the benefit.
For those who have not received any official notice, the guidance is to only follow digital channels and periodically check the “Proof of Life” area on Meu INSS.
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