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Bill 4680/2024 Seeks to Expand the Continuous Cash Benefit (BPC), Creating a 25% Increase for Seniors and People with Disabilities Who Need Caregivers, Equalizing Their Rights with Those of Retirees Due to Disability.
A new bill currently in progress in the Chamber of Deputies reignites the debate on social justice and the equalization of rights between retirees and social assistance beneficiaries. The Bill No. 4680/2024, authored by deputy Zé Vitor (PL–MG), proposes granting a 25% increase on the Continuous Cash Benefit (BPC) for seniors and people with disabilities who can prove the permanent need for caregiver assistance.
If approved, the measure will represent a historic change in the treatment of BPC beneficiaries, equating them with retirees due to disability from the INSS, who already have the right to this increase. The text seeks to correct an old inequality in pension legislation, which has long been questioned by specialists, public defenders, and organizations linked to the rights of the elderly and people with disabilities.
A Benefit That Has Excluded Those Who Need It Most for Decades
The BPC is guaranteed by the Organic Law of Social Assistance (Law No. 8,742/1993) and ensures the payment of a monthly minimum wage to people with disabilities and seniors over 65 who can prove a family income per capita of less than one-quarter of the minimum wage. Although it is an essential instrument of social protection, the benefit does not foresee an increase of 25% for those who depend on a caregiver — even in severe cases of physical, mental, or cognitive limitations.
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The bill’s author claims that the change is “a step toward humanizing social assistance policy”, recognizing the financial burden faced by families needing to pay for caregivers. “It’s a matter of dignity. The elderly or disabled person who requires daily assistance cannot receive less protection than the retiree due to disability,” highlighted Zé Vitor.
What the Bill Proposes in Practice
The text of PL 4680/2024 amends Article 20 of Law 8.742/1993 to include the 25% increase for those who can prove, through medical and social reports, the permanent need for assistance from another person. Among the main points:
- Additional Amount – The beneficiary who needs continuous help will receive 25% more than the monthly benefit amount;
- Technical Assessment – The need for a caregiver will be verified by a multidisciplinary team from the INSS or the agency responsible for social assistance;
- Automatic Extension – The additional amount will be paid as long as the dependency condition exists, and can be reassessed periodically;
- Expanded Protection – The additional amount will not be considered for the calculation of family income, preventing the extra amount from affecting other social benefits.
If approved, the bill will directly impact approximately 2.8 million BPC beneficiaries who live with severe functional limitations and require constant supervision.
The Legal Inequality That the Bill Seeks to Correct
Currently, only retirees due to disability are entitled to the 25% increase, as provided in Article 45 of Law 8.213/1991. In 2018, the Superior Court of Justice (STJ) ruled that the increase should be extended to other types of retirement, but the Supreme Federal Court (STF) subsequently overturned this ruling, understanding that such an expansion would require a specific law — precisely what the new bill aims to establish.
According to public defender Felipe Figueiredo, a specialist in pension rights, “current legislation creates an unjustifiable discrimination. The cost of a caregiver is the same, whether for a retired elderly person or an elderly person assisted by the BPC. Bill 4680/2024 corrects a moral and legal distortion.”
Fiscal Impact and Economic Feasibility
The proposal will still be analyzed by the Social Security and Family, Finance and Taxation, and Constitution, Justice, and Citizenship Committees (CCJ). According to preliminary calculations from the Chamber’s Budget Consultancy, the estimated fiscal impact would be approximately R$ 6.5 billion per year, an amount considered manageable within the National Social Assistance Fund’s budget, especially if implemented gradually.
The measure is also supported by organizations such as the National Council for the Rights of the Elderly (CNDI) and the National Forum of Workers from the Unified Social Assistance System (SUAS), which argue that the increase would reduce reliance on informal caregivers and the institutional abandonment of the elderly.
A Civilizational Advance in Caring for Those Who Need It Most
The proposal has already begun to gain popular support on social media and among organizations advocating for people with disabilities. For the coordinator of the NGO Viva Melhor Idade, Dra. Célia Duarte, “this law recognizes that aging and disability are not mere statistics, but human realities that require permanent care and financial support.”
Should the text progress and be approved, Brazil could finally equate the BPC with pension protection, ensuring dignity and financial security for millions of families who currently live on the edge.
“This is not just a 25% increase. It is the recognition that care is also a right,” summarizes the bill’s rapporteur, deputy Erika Kokay (PT–DF).
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