Brazil's Gás do Povo program to release gas refills in September 2026

The Gás do Povo program is scheduled to release new 13kg cooking gas refills in September 2026 across Brazil. This initiative, which replaced the traditional Auxílio Gás, provides physical refills through registered retailers rather than direct cash transfers to bank accounts.

To qualify, beneficiaries must be registered in the Cadastro Único with a monthly income of up to half a minimum wage per family member. Eligibility is determined through electronic data crossing, and the head of the household must have a regular CPF to avoid blocking the benefit. Beneficiaries can verify their status via the Ministry of Development and Social Assistance portal or the Caixa social benefits app.

The program aims to reduce reliance on wood-burning stoves, which pose respiratory risks due to improper ventilation. This comes amid rising costs for cooking gas, driven by ICMS tax adjustments on fuels that added approximately R$ 1.05 to the price of a cylinder. In Belo Horizonte, for example, the average price for a 13kg cylinder rose from R$ 118.54 in January 2025 to R$ 124.32 in January 2026.