Senate postpones vote on project that guarantees basic income for Brazilians in socially vulnerable situations during the coronavirus pandemic.
The vote on the bill that guarantees Basic Emergency Citizenship Income for people in situations of greater vulnerability due to the coronavirus pandemic that has been growing across Brazil has been postponed until April 1st. The advance decision was taken after a virtual meeting of party leaders.
This Tuesday, the remote deliberative session will also vote on four other projects that bring measures to combat Covid-19.
The project on exemption from justifying absence for quarantine will be voted on; the project that deals with telemedicine; financial aid to hospitals. And this suspends for 120 days the obligation to maintain quantitative and qualitative goals established by health service providers within the scope of the Unified Health System (SUS).
Basic Income Project
The basic income project determines that beneficiaries of the Bolsa Família program will receive an extra special benefit per person. It will be at least R$ 300.00 per month. Lasting six months, which can be extended while the pandemic continues. The project is the only item on the agenda for the remote deliberative session this Tuesday afternoon.
People who do not participate in Bolsa Família will also have access to the benefit. They just need to be listed in the Single Registry of Social Programs (CadÚnico). According to the project, these people and all their dependents will also be able to receive the benefit. Which will be the same amount and will have the same duration, as long as they have a lower per capita income and three minimum wages.
Per family, the maximum amount to be received will be R$ 1,500.00, an amount that can be increased by the Executive Branch. Beneficiaries will receive the amounts in an account registered with Caixa Econômica Federal. To pay for the benefit, the project authorizes the Executive Branch to open extraordinary credit during the public calamity situation.
The project establishes that some concessions that are conditions provided for in the Bolsa Família Law will be suspended during the pandemic period, such as the enrollment and maintenance of children and adolescents in school and the vaccination of children up to seven years of age.
