Brazil Supreme Court removes age minimum for special retirement

On 3 June 2026 the Brazilian Supreme Court (STF) ruled by a 6‑to‑5 vote that the minimum‑age requirement introduced by the 2019 pension reform is unconstitutional. The decision applies to the special retirement benefit granted to workers who are habitually and permanently exposed to harmful agents such as noise, heat, electricity, chemicals or biological hazards. With the age floor eliminated, eligible workers can retire based solely on the required period of exposure (15, 20 or 25 years, depending on risk level), without having to reach ages 55, 58 or 60.

The Court kept the reform’s calculation rules – 60 % of the average contribution salary since July 1994, plus a 2‑point yearly increase after 20 years for men (15 years for women) – and maintained the ban on converting special‑time periods into common‑time contributions for periods after November 2019. The ruling affects the general social security regime, not public‑service or police pensions. Beneficiaries must still prove exposure through technical documentation such as the Perfil Profissiográfico Previdenciário (PPP) and the Laudo Técnico das Condições Ambientais de Trabalho (LTCAT).