Description
Transfer of income in the amount of a minimum wage (which in 2024 is equivalent to R$ 1,412.00) paid to the elderly (65 years or older) or Person with Disabilities (PwD) who face long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impediments – with effects for at least two years – that make it impossible for them to participate fully and effectively in society, on an equal basis with other people, and who live in a family whose per capita family income does not exceed ¼ of the minimum wage (MW). There is, however, provision for the inclusion of beneficiaries living in families with the per capita family income greater than ¼ of the MW and up to ½ MW, provided that they present evidence that speak to the vulnerability of the family, as referred to in § 11 of art. 20 of LOAS. However, this forecast is pending regulation.
It should be noted that the calculation of the per capita family income, for the purposes of eligibility to BPC, does not include income from another BPC or social security benefit in the amount of up to one minimum wage. Nor are benefits from income transfer programs, such as PBF, or occasional and temporary assistance benefits, or compensation for people with disabilities as apprentices or interns taken into consideration. Expenditures related to the purchase of medicines, medical consultations and treatments, diapers and special food items are also discounted from the income calculation.
The program is managed by the Ministry of Social Development and Assistance, Family and Fight against Hunger - MDS (which during 2019-2022 was designated Ministry of Citizenship – MC). All potential beneficiaries must be registered in the Single Registry (CadÚnico) prior to application. Whereas CadÚnico registration is carried out by SUAS professionals, the process of validating the registry and the eligibility analysis is carried out by decentralized units of the Brazilian Institute of Social Security (INSS, acronym in Portuguese) of the Ministry of Social Security. This includes medical evaluation which is conducted by specialized doctors.
In June 2021, a supplementary benefit to BPC, the Inclusion Aid, was regulated. This benefit aims to stimulate and support the inclusion of people with disabilities in the labor market. When exercising a paid activity (with earnings up to two minimum wages), the beneficiary has his or her BPC benefit replaced by the Inclusion Allowance, which amounts to half a minimum wage per month, The Inclusion Allowance is thus received on top of the salary.
BPC – Elderly;
BPC – PwD;
Remnants of Lifetime Monthly Income (RMV, acronym in Portuguese).
Ministry of Social Development and Assistance, Family and Fight against Hunger – MDS (which during 2019-2022 was designated Ministry of Citizenship – MC).
The INSS performs the process of analyzing the applications (including social evaluations for PwDs, which is carried out by career social workers – and medical evaluations, carried out by medical experts).
The Single Registry entry is carried out by SUAS professionals.
RMV existed between 1974 and 1996, when it was replaced by BPC (whereas existing RMV beneficiaries continued to receive the RMV benefit also after 1996,, new beneficiaries received the BPC from 1996 and onwards)1
Still in operation.
Transfer of Unconditioned Income. Formally, it is not a social security pension and the benefit is not extended to heirs after the death of beneficiaries.
There are no conditionalities.
Elderly (65 years or older) and/or PwD living in families with a per capita family income below ¼ of the minimum wage, or with income above this threshold but with extraordinary vulnerabilities (as determined by the INSS).
Interested parties must be registered and with a duly updated record in the Single Registry (Single Registry entries must be updated at least every two years)
The subsequent process is handled by INSS and begins with the submission of documentation proving the age or health condition (process carried out online on "Meu INSS” [My INSS][i]), as well as household composition. Based on this, the INSS sends the data of the applicants to DATAPREV[ii], which validates the information and selection process by cross-checking data from numerous administrative records.
In parallel, the INSS performs social and medical assessment of applicants.
The INSS needs to return to the applicant with a final decision within 90 days.
[i] My INSS is an online tool for citizens that allow for consultation and issuance of statements, access to data on social security contributions, employers and work history.
[ii] DATAPREV (Social Security Data Processing Company) is a Brazilian public company, linked to the Ministry of Management and Innovation in Public Services. It is responsible for managing the Brazilian Social Database, especially that of the Brazilian Institute of Social Security (responsible for the contributory pillar of social security in Brazil).
Coverage of individual beneficiaries (BPC and RMV), 2004 to 2022
Year | BPC-PwD | BPC-Elderly | RMV-PwD | RMV-Elderly | TOTAL |
2004 | 1,127,849 | 933,164 | 370,079 | 181,014 | 2,612,106 |
2005 | 1,211,761 | 1,065,604 | 340,715 | 157,860 | 2,775,940 |
2006 | 1,293,645 | 1,183,840 | 310,806 | 135,603 | 2,923,894 |
2007 | 1,385,107 | 1,295,716 | 284,033 | 115,965 | 3,080,821 |
2008 | 1,510,682 | 1,423,790 | 261,149 | 100,945 | 3,296,566 |
2009 | 1,625,625 | 1,541,220 | 237,307 | 85,090 | 3,489,242 |
2010 | 1,778,345 | 1,623,196 | 215,850 | 71,830 | 3,689,221 |
2011 | 1,907,511 | 1,687,826 | 195,018 | 59,540 | 3,849,895 |
2012 | 2,021,721 | 1,750,121 | 177,578 | 50,042 | 3,999,462 |
2013 | 2,141,846 | 1,822,346 | 160,614 | 41,150 | 4,165,956 |
2014 | 2,253,822 | 1,876,610 | 145,915 | 34,101 | 4,310,448 |
2015 | 2,323,808 | 1,918,918 | 132,460 | 27,968 | 4,403,154 |
2016 | 2,436,608 | 1,974,942 | 118,327 | 21,624 | 4,551,501 |
2017 | 2,527,257 | 2,022,221 | 106,373 | 16,974 | 4,672,825 |
2018 | 2,603,082 | 2,048,842 | 95,900 | 13,142 | 4,760,966 |
2019 | 2,579,475 | 2,046,710 | 85,880 | 10,048 | 4,722,113 |
2020 | 2,550,665 | 2,107,344 | 77,648 | 7,960 | 4,743,617 |
2021 | 2,568,657 | 2,159,970 | 69,032 | 5,935 | 4,803,594 |
2022 | 2,770,710 | 2,345,108 | 62,045 | 4,510 | 5,182,373 |
2023 | 3,127,083 | 2,583,750 | 56,038 | 3,530 | 5,770,401 |
Benefit of one minimum wage per month and beneficiary (in 2024 the minimum wage is equivalent to R$ 1,412.00).
Payment made to the preferred checking account of the beneficiaries with the option of having a free-of-charge Digital Social Savings account set up with CAIXA.
Annual expenses of BPC and RMV due to the payment of benefits, by modality, 2004-2023. Nominal values2, 3
Year | BPC-PwD | BPC-Elderly | RMV-PwD | RMV-Elderly | TOTAL |
2004 | 3,300,027,491.84 | 2,514,255,522.11 | 1,172,537,138.85 | 588,879,706.23 | 7,575,699,859.03 |
2005 | 4,054,094,731.06 | 3,469,766,715.72 | 1,220,034,116.40 | 580,439,391.56 | 9,324,334,954.74 |
2006 | 5,112,542,025.61 | 4,606,245,559.85 | 1,316,567,069.08 | 591,798,566.79 | 11,627,153,221.33 |
2007 | 5,987,030,235.07 | 5,561,314,693.04 | 1,323,737,645.08 | 557,792,402.17 | 13,429,874,975.36 |
2008 | 7,110,730,316.79 | 6,675,058,372.24 | 1,328,962,461.53 | 527,256,675.83 | 15,642,007,826.39 |
2009 | 8,638,336,140.55 | 8,221,076,475.48 | 1,367,470,956.15 | 508,483,479.62 | 18,735,367,051.80 |
2010 | 10,421,254,103.60 | 9,682,778,923.69 | 1,376,729,205.47 | 475,818,670.45 | 21,956,580,903.21 |
2011 | 12,038,334,158.80 | 10,816,504,665.29 | 1,330,311,707.47 | 424,693,092.20 | 24,609,843,623.76 |
2012 | 14,630,028,994.08 | 12,804,905,658.79 | 1,381,752,909.15 | 405,622,526.84 | 29,222,310,088.86 |
2013 | 16,890,989,942.86 | 14,521,347,002.49 | 1,365,248,907.36 | 367,461,551.65 | 33,145,047,404.36 |
2014 | 19,070,187,136.63 | 16,071,242,273.89 | 1,321,839,409.25 | 324,104,460.18 | 36,787,373,279.95 |
2015 | 21,680,230,972.98 | 17,965,561,874.54 | 1,306,129,492.39 | 290,343,032.33 | 41,242,265,372.24 |
2016 | 25,086,304,481.75 | 20,551,292,432.84 | 1,310,578,982.11 | 256,930,273.73 | 47,205,106,170.43 |
2017 | 27,855,992,868.83 | 22,436,422,939.33 | 1,252,984,115.94 | 214,040,894.22 | 51,759,440,818.32 |
2018 | 29,292,630,579.02 | 23,290,669,747.68 | 1,145,839,241.81 | 169,225,634.15 | 53,898,365,202.66 |
2019 | 31,124,933,826.74 | 24,400,536,571.07 | 1,081,155,318.47 | 136,632,908.66 | 56,743,258,624.94 |
2020 | 32,252,167,796.39 | 26,172,665,867.64 | 1,019,744,376.16 | 111,186,160.45 | 59,555,764,200.64 |
2021 | 33,845,944,335.77 | 28,066,965,608.93 | 963,028,242.88 | 90,234,371.63 | 62,966,172,559.21 |
2022 | 38,507,685,429.10 | 32,428,101,823.04 | 948,430,933.03 | 74,617,798.32 | 71,958,835,983.49 |
2023 | 46,228,722,632.82 | 38,883,490,874.45 | 927,680,587.62 | 62,759,521.44 | 86,102,653,616.33 |
Quasi-experimental studies from 2007 suggest desirable indirect impacts on the school participation of young people aged between 15 and 21 (although there is also an undesirable impact by increasing the prevalence of young people who neither study nor work)4, and the correlation between the expansion of BPC and the rate of social security contributions suggests that there is no significant effect discouraging adherence to contributory pension schemes5.
Quasi-experimental analysis of 2018 suggests causality between BPC and the increase in GDP at the municipal level6.
A 2018 study estimates that 72% of those eligible for BPC-PwD and 73% of those eligible for BPC-Elderly were effectively covered by the program.
The eligibility based on the per capita family income ends up prioritizing families with higher dependency rates, including due to the existence of children.
Although BPC has not been subjected to many impact assessments on indirect effects on children and adolescents, there are studies indicating desirable impacts on the school attendance of young people aged 15 to 21 years7.
In the case of BPC-PwD, there is an intersectoral coordination called BPC-School that enable SUAS social assistance teams and education teams to support the access of these children and young people to school8.
With the Zika outbreak and subsequent increase in newborn microcephaly cases in 2016, there was regulation to prioritize families with these diagnoses under the BPC-PwD9.
With the Zika outbreak and subsequent increase in newborn microcephaly cases in 2016, there was regulation to prioritize children with these diagnoses under the BPC-PwD10. Subsequently, with the publication of Law No. 13.985, of April 7, 2020, a special pension was established for children with Congenital Zika Virus Syndrome, born between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2019.
BPC applicants need to be registered prior to their application in the Single Registry, which is operated by SUAS professionals. The subsequent process of validation and selection is carried out by INSS agencies (under the tutelage of the Ministry of Social Security).
There was an intensification of the use of remote service channels.
In 2020, up to three payments of R$ 600.00 per month were paid in advance to applicants awaiting analysis of their application by the INSS (which can take anywhere from one to almost two years) – a measure that benefited, on a monthly average, about 1% of the total number of regular beneficiaries of the program per month, at a cost of 3% of the BPC's total regular expenses in that year.
In 2020, some additional flexibility was introduced by exempting some social benefits and deducting some expenses from the per capita family income calculation (which in turn is used to determine eligibility to the benefit). Deducted expenditures include medical costs and health treatments as well as the purchase of diapers, special foods and medicines (those not provided for free through the public health or social assistance systems)11, 12.
- GoB, Min. Cidadania 2021. “Renda Mensal Vitalícia”. https://www.gov.br/mds/pt-br/acoes-e-programas/suas/beneficios-assistenciais/renda-mensal-vitalicia.
- GoB, Min. Desenvolvimento Social, 2024a. “BPC por Município pagador”
- GoB, Min. Desenvolvimento Social, 2024b. "RMW por município pagador"
- Reis, Maurício Cortez, e José Márcio Camargo. 2007. “Rendimentos domiciliares com aposentadorias e pensões e as decisões dos jovens quanto à educação e à participação na força de trabalho”. http://repositorio.ipea.gov.br/handle/11058/2165.
- Medeiros, Marcelo, Tatiana Britto, e Fábio Soares. 2007. “Transferência de renda no Brasil”. Novos Estudos. CEBRAP. 79 (novembro).
- Menezes-Filho, Naercio, Guilherme Denes, e Bruno Kawaoka Komatsu. 2018. “Uma Avaliação dos Impactos Macroeconômicos e Sociais de Programas de Transferência de Renda nos Municípios Brasileiros”. Rev. Bras. Econ 72 (julho). https://www.scielo.br/j/rbe/a/z588jJkmH7YrWg9PrgMJZpD/?lang=pt.
- Reis, Maurício Cortez, e José Márcio Camargo. 2007. “Rendimentos domiciliares com aposentadorias e pensões e as decisões dos jovens quanto à educação e à participação na força de trabalho”. http://repositorio.ipea.gov.br/handle/11058/2165.
- GoB, Min. Cidadania. 2022. BPC na escola. 8 de junho de 2022. https://www.gov.br/mds/pt-br/acoes-e-programas/suas/servicos-e-programas/bpc-na-escola.
- Pereira, Éverton Luís, Joseierton Cruz Bezerra, Jonas Lotufo Brant, Wildo Navegantes de Araújo, e Leonor Maria Pacheco Santos. 2017. “Perfil da demanda e dos Benefícios de Prestação Continuada (BPC) concedidos a crianças com diagnóstico de microcefalia no Brasil”. Ciênc. saúde colet. 22 (novembro). https://www.scielo.br/j/csc/a/CDGw8wDNL6pC43xmK7jjgcp/?lang=pt.
- Pereira, Éverton Luís, Joseierton Cruz Bezerra, Jonas Lotufo Brant, Wildo Navegantes de Araújo, e Leonor Maria Pacheco Santos. 2017. “Perfil da demanda e dos Benefícios de Prestação Continuada (BPC) concedidos a crianças com diagnóstico de microcefalia no Brasil”. Ciênc. saúde colet. 22 (novembro). https://www.scielo.br/j/csc/a/CDGw8wDNL6pC43xmK7jjgcp/?lang=pt.
- Arruda, Pedro, Gabriel Lyrio de Oliveira, Gabriel Ibarra, Marina Lazarotto de Andrade, Tiago Falcão, Diana Barbosa, e Matteo Morgandi. 2022. “Coverage Profile of Brazil’s Auxílio Emergencial and Special Design Features for Protecting Women and Other Vulnerable Groups : Lessons from Brazil’s Auxílio Emergencial”. https://documents.worldbank.org/en/publication/documents-reports/documentdetail/099930005242219483/p1748360bd260a015090610fb0525fc0254.
- GoB, Min. Cidadania. 2021. Benefício de Prestação Continuada: medidas adotadas no contexto da pandemia para proteção de idosos e pessoas com deficiência”. https://aplicacoes.mds.gov.br/sagi/pesquisas/documentos/relatorio/relatorio_216.pdf.