Brazil's minister of social security, Wolney Queiroz, said on Thursday (17) that turning out to vote in this year's elections will count as proof of life for beneficiaries of the INSS, the public institute that pays pensions in Brazil. He made the announcement during a visit to a benefits office in downtown São Paulo, according to Folha de S.Paulo.
Proof of life is the periodic check that keeps pension money flowing only to living beneficiaries, and the rule predates this election year. Queiroz said it comes from administrative order 1,408, issued in February 2022 by the INSS president at the time, José Carlos Oliveira. Voting and vaccination are among the acts listed as valid proof. Voting is compulsory in Brazil for citizens aged 18 to 70, which gives the measure broad reach.
The mechanism was already used in the 2024 municipal elections. Voters who showed up at the polls had their records automatically validated, Folha reports.
How verification works now
Before the 2022 order, retirees and pensioners had to prove they were alive in person at the banks that paid their benefits. Since then, the government has cross-referenced public and private databases to confirm registrations. Verification is now required only from beneficiaries who rarely use public services or have limited digital access. They can comply through the Meu INSS app, with its gold security seal, or in person at the paying agency with a photo ID.
Beyond the vote, the current list accepts use of the Meu INSS app with the gold seal, payroll loans taken out with biometric identification, updates to CadÚnico, the federal registry for social programs, benefit payments collected with biometrics, in-person visits to INSS offices, disability medical exams and the public health system, vaccination and records at traffic and public safety agencies. The news site MundoBA reports that filing an income tax return also counts.
Beneficiaries with no recorded activity receive a WhatsApp notice from the INSS and have 30 days to comply. In October last year the notification reached about 4 million people.
The first round of voting is scheduled for October 4, with a possible runoff on October 25. More than 158 million Brazilians are eligible to vote this year. For INSS beneficiaries, a trip to the polls will also settle the periodic requirement to prove they are alive.