Brazilian Gov’t begins to finance Bolsa Familia to families in need

Brasilia, Jan 18 (Prensa Latina) The Government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva this Wednesday begun with the first payments of 600 reais (118 dollars) of Auxilio Brasil, an aid program for families in need, renamed Bolsa Familia (Family Allowance).

January 18, 2023
10:36

The payment is a “commitment signed during the (election) campaign, and we achieved it due to the Constitutional Amendment Proposal (PEC) that we approved still in transition. The amount had not been foreseen in the budget by the previous Government,” Lula wrote on Twitter.

The Federal Government would accelerate the registration of Bolsa Familia program to ensure that families with children up to six years of age can receive an extra 150 reales (30 dollars) in March to be added to 600 reales of the program, Social Development Minister Wellington Dias stated.

According to government data, the income transfer program reached 21.9 million families in January and is present in the country’s 5,570 municipalities.

The Bolsa Familia program was established in 2003 during Lula’s first term in office.

It aims to break the generational short- and long-term hardship cycle through conditional transfers on income, education, and health.

jrr/iff/oda/ocs