Emergency aid extended? See here!
Much has been said about the extended emergency aid during the COVID-19 pandemic, a disease caused by the novel coronavirus.
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Last Friday (22), President Jair Bolsonaro said there will be a fourth installment of the emergency aid of R$ 600.00.
As is known, the benefit was initially developed to contain the economic crisis and was intended to consist of only three installments, paid by Caixa Econômica Federal.
However, according to the emergency aid law itself – Law 13.982, of April 2, 2020 – it is possible that the benefit will be extended to families who lose income.
“[The aid] may be extended by an act of the Executive Branch during the period of addressing the public health emergency of international concern caused by Covid-19.”
And what would be the value of the extended emergency aid?
Bolsonaro, the current president of Brazil, has stated the following in an interview with Jovem Pan radio:
"There will be a fourth installment, but not of R$ 600. I don't know how much it will be, R$ 300, R$ 400. And maybe there will be a fifth, maybe it will be R$ 200 or R$ 300."
Prior to that, on Tuesday the 19th, the Minister of Economy, Paulo Guedes, commented on the matter in a meeting with business leaders, where he said:
"If we go back to R$ 200, maybe we can extend it for a month or two? R$ 600 isn't an option."
In Congress, there is also pressure to maintain the R$ 600.00 value, and there are at least 5 bills filed on this subject.
Senator Eliziane Gama (Cidadania Maranhão) presented a text proposing a three-month extension of the initial amount. See below:
“As the emergency aid that we approved in this Congress reaches its second installment, it becomes clear that the Covid-19 pandemic will unfortunately not subside so quickly. It is necessary to guarantee the extension of emergency aid for another 3 months, and for the same amount of R$ 600.00. This is not merely an economic issue, but a public health imperative: only those whose needs are met can isolate themselves,” the bill states.
However, since the benefit amount of R$ 600.00 was established by law, any change in value would directly imply a legislative change.
In any case, if the emergency aid is extended for at least the initial amount, this will require an initial expenditure of 154.4 billion from the federal government's accounts.
Return of emergency aid
The latest amendment to the aid law has turned this benefit into a "loan" for those who recovered financially by 2021.
The change, made by the Senate and sanctioned by President Jair Bolsonaro, establishes that anyone who receives benefits in 2020 exceeding the Income Tax (IR) limit will have to return the full amount in 2021, including for dependents.
Payment of the second installment of emergency aid continues; check the schedule here.
