Gas Voucher: Government Plans To Ensure Full Benefits For Low-Income Families Until The End Of 2022 With The New Fuel Package Being Discussed In Congress

Currently, The Government Pays 50% of the Gas Cylinder Every Two Months. The Proposal Is to Pay the Full Amount with the New Fuel Package

Government members are assessing the possibility of ensuring the frequency of the gas voucher, since the benefit is only available every two months. Additionally, lawmakers plan to double the value of the assistance, as currently the government only guarantees 50% of the gas cylinder price. Thus, with the new fuel package being discussed in Congress, the gas voucher will cover 100% of the gas cylinder price and will be paid every month.

The increase in the gas voucher value will be included in a PEC (Proposed Constitutional Amendment), the fuel package, which is awaiting validation in the Senate. The mentioned PEC also seeks to strengthen the amount of Auxílio Brasil, raising the social assistance floor from R$ 400 to R$ 600.

Last Friday, the 24th, a government member and the PEC rapporteur, Senator Fernando Bezerra (MDB-PE), predicted an expenditure of R$ 23.1 billion for the two aids, with R$ 21.6 billion allocated for Auxílio Brasil and R$ 1.5 billion for the gas voucher, if the fuel package proposal is approved.

Fernando also estimated a cost of approximately R$ 34.8 billion for the changes planned for benefits that the government provides to the population, with the approval of the fuel package. Thus, this estimated value may increase as adjustments to government assistance are made.

In economic terms, Fernando’s forecast this Monday the 27th hovered around a cost of approximately R$ 37 billion, excluding the spending cap, a rule that limits the growth of expenditures to the inflation rate.

The fuel package, which is being discussed in Congress, also includes a truck driver subsidy of about R$ 1,000 and compensation to states for free public transport for seniors and for losses in revenue with the establishment of the ICMS rate on ethanol and other fuels at 12%. If approved, the fuel package could alter various factors in the benefits provided by the government, making them more beneficial for users.

What Is the Gas Voucher and Who Can Receive It

The gas voucher is a government assistance program that ensures the purchase of gas for cooking and is aimed at low-income families. The program is managed by the Ministry of Citizenship, which is also responsible for sending the resources for payment.

Caixa Econômica Federal is the bank responsible for making gas voucher payments to those covered by the assistance and for providing channels for servicing beneficiaries who may have questions regarding the withdrawal of the benefit.

People Who Can Receive the Benefit

Those eligible for the government assistance include:

• All families registered in CadÚnico with a monthly family income less than or equal to half the minimum wage per person;
• Families that have someone in the household who receives the continuous cash benefit from social assistance, whether registered in CadÚnico or not.

Recipients of the Brazil Gas Assistance Program must meet the following criteria:

• Families that have a CadÚnico registration that has been updated in the last 24 months;
• Families with the lowest income per person;
• Families with the largest number of people;
• Families that are beneficiaries of the Auxílio Brasil Program;
• Families whose registration has been verified by the municipal manager, using verification data.