Brazil's FGTS program supports workers in debt relief as birthday withdrawal remains active

The Federal Guarantee Fund (FGTS) is being used to help Brazilian workers clear debts through the second phase of the federal “Desenrola” program. Over 17,000 withdrawals have been made, with an average of 604.73 reais per transaction. The phase is backed by a 10.3 million‑real reserve and forms part of a broader effort in which the Ministry of Labor has made 16.7 billion reais available, of which 14.9 billion has already been transferred to beneficiaries. Since 2023, extraordinary FGTS releases have moved 34.7 billion reais into the economy.

A recent temporary measure that altered the rules for the optional “birthday withdrawal” (saque‑aniversário) lost its validity, but the withdrawal itself continues under existing legislation. Workers who already opted in keep their right to annual withdrawals, and contracts signed during the measure’s lifespan remain in force. The loss of the provisional measure only affects certain extraordinary provisions that will no longer be created.