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A Real Case in 2025 Shows That the MEI Who Paid Late DAS Loses Contribution Time for Retirement, Even After Settling Overdue Bills.
A recent case reported by the Microentrepreneur Central alerted thousands of freelancers: the MEI who paid late DAS for more than a year may have their retirement request denied by the INSS. This occurs because, according to social security law, months paid after a 12-month deadline do not count toward minimum contribution time, even if the payment is made in full.
In September 2025, a microentrepreneur who had accumulated a year of delays decided to regularize all MEI bills. However, when applying for retirement by age, she received a denial from the INSS based on the article 28 of Decree 3.048/1999, which establishes the loss of insured status when there is an interruption of more than 12 months. The result was the exclusion of more than a year of contributions, bringing the valid contribution time to zero.
How the Rule Works
The MEI who paid late DAS needs to understand that bills settled outside the deadline only regularize tax debts, but do not count for retirement purposes.
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The Social Security requires two basic requirements: minimum age (62 years for women and 65 years for men) and contribution time (15 years for women and 20 years for men).
If the contributor loses their insured status, the overdue time does not count in the calculation.
In the National Register of Social Information (CNIS), late payments appear, but they are disregarded in the technical analysis.
This means that, even with all bills paid, the INSS treats the period as non-existent for social security purposes.
The Case That Caught Attention in 2025
According to the report from the Microentrepreneur Central, the entrepreneur who had her retirement denied believed she was up to date after settling the overdue bills.
However, the technical opinion from the INSS expressly cited article 28, subsection 2, to justify the exclusion of contributions paid more than 12 months late.
This episode reveals a harsh reality: the MEI who paid late DAS for more than a year does not recover the lost time, regardless of the amount settled.
This flaw was only discovered at the time of the benefit request, when there was no way to reverse it administratively.
Impact on Millions of Microentrepreneurs
Brazil has over 15 million active MEIs, according to official data.
Many believe that paying overdue bills is enough to maintain the right to retirement.
However, experts warn that regularization is only valid if done before exceeding one year of delay.
If not, the contributor risks reaching the minimum age and discovering that they do not have enough contribution time to retire.
Overdue contributions do not provide coverage for benefits such as sick pay, maternity pay, and survivor’s pension.
How to Avoid Losing Rights at the INSS
To avoid being surprised, the MEI who paid late DAS should seek accounting or legal advice as soon as they identify non-compliance.
It is recommended not to let the delay exceed 12 months.
Another alternative is to supplement the contribution with the 15% rate, an option aimed at those who wish to retire based on contribution time — but this modality also requires rigorous discipline in payments.
The Microentrepreneur Central emphasizes that the best path is to keep the bills up to date and monitor the CNIS through the My INSS portal or app, where it is possible to check if the contributions are being properly accounted for.
The real case in 2025 demonstrates that the MEI who paid late DAS for more than a year loses the grace period at the INSS, even after settling all debts.
This rule, backed by law, can deny the right to retirement and compromise years of planning.
Do you think it is fair that the MEI loses contribution time even after settling overdue installments? Does this rule protect the system or harm those who need it most? Leave your opinion in the comments and share your experience.
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