Study proposes ending extreme poverty by reorganizing R$ 331 billion in social programs

This is a translation of the original article in Portuguese. Read the original (Português).

A study from the Centro de Debate de Políticas Públicas, a Brazilian public policy think tank, proposes reorganizing the country’s eight main social programs, which cost about R$ 331 billion a year, in order to eliminate extreme poverty. The paper was written by Vinícius Botelho, Fernando Veloso and Marcos Mendes and published by the Brazilian newspaper Folha de S.Paulo.

The proposal creates three fronts: a Minimum Income Benefit, a Poupança Seguro Família and the Mais Educação Program. According to the authors, the current model suffers from fragmented rules and offers little incentive to work. The idea is to use money that is already being spent, rather than expanding spending, in a more integrated way.

In the same newspaper, sociologist Letícia Bartholo, a former national secretary for Assessment, Information Management and the Single Registry (Cadastro Único), argued in an interview for integrating social benefits to reduce overlaps and gaps. The conversation is part of C-Level’s special edition on the challenges of 2027.

Bartholo proposes that Bolsa Família adopt a floor per person, rather than per family. She also discussed the relationship between the program and Pé-de-Meia.

Both proposals start from the same diagnosis: the current design of the programs has rules that do not work together. The study bets on a broad reorganization, with new programs replacing the existing ones. The sociologist focuses on adjustments and on integration within the existing structure, built around Bolsa Família.

The debate comes as fiscal adjustment is under discussion and as the goal of ending extreme poverty, set for the 2028 to 2030 period, is at risk. How social spending is designed affects millions of families and everyone’s budget.

The government has not yet commented on the proposals, and the responsible agencies would need to detail transition and operating rules if any of them moved forward.

Reporting from Folha de S.Paulo (p. 22, nacional: Estudo propõe erradicar a miséria com os R$ 331 bilhões gastos em programas sociais), Folha de S.Paulo (p. 20, nacional: Socióloga Letícia Bartholo defende integração de benefícios sociais).