Brazil expands free National ID cards, updates Bolsa Família payments and INSS benefits

The federal government is rolling out free issuance of the new Carteira de Identidade Nacional (CIN) across several states. In Feira de Santana, a mobile service (SAC Itinerante) provides 150 daily appointments at a public school, while São Paulo residents can schedule appointments through the Poupatempo portal or app. The first‑time CIN is free, uses the CPF as a unique identifier, includes a QR code for verification, and is available in both physical and digital forms via the Gov.br app. A decree also sets a deadline for swapping the old RG, which will remain valid until 2032.

For the Bolsa Família program, the July 2026 payment calendar is now public, with deposits scheduled from 20 to 31 July according to the final digit of each family’s NIS. The basic benefit is R$600 per family, but eligible families can receive up to R$900 when they meet supplemental criteria for children, pregnant women and adolescents. Payments are made through Caixa Econômica Federal and can be accessed via the Caixa Tem app.

The Instituto Nacional do Seguro Social (INSS) reports a 41 % drop in pending benefit requests, falling to 1.83 million by June. New retirees and pensioners will receive their 13th‑salary payments between 24 Nov and 7 Dec. Additionally, an additional 25 % pension supplement is available for disabled retirees who require constant personal assistance, and a parliamentary amendment seeks to extend frontier‑service indemnities to INSS staff serving in hard‑to‑reach locations.