Brazil pensioners over 80 or with impaired mobility may schedule proof of life at home

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Brazilian Social Security Institute (INSS) published Ordinance 1321 in today’s (July 5) Federal Gazette that grants pension beneficiaries with impaired mobility the option of obtaining their formal “proof of life” – needed to receive their benefits – at home by means of a visit by an INSS representative.

Pensioners over 80 will also be able to apply for the service, regardless of their mobility status.

The application which enables proof of life “by means of external research,” may be submitted by third parties, using telefone number 135; or the MY INSS app; or through other channels to be provided by the INSS, “without the need to register a power of attorney for this specific purpose or the attendance of the beneficiary or interested party at a Social Security Agency – APS.”

The ordinance clarifies that a “medical certificate or declaration issued by the competent professional must be produced, similarly to the required documents for inclusion of a power of attorney for the purpose of obtaining the benefit.”

Regarding applications made through My INSS, documentary certification of the mobility impairment must be attached, “and the submission of original documentation in the application is not required.”

In cases where the application is made through telephone Central 135, the central office itself will register the task. It will also schedule the requirement for submission of supporting documentation, “so that the applicant will be immediately notified of the date to appear or the possibility of attachment through My INSS.”

Beneficiaries with impaired mobility must select the “Request Proof of Life – mobility impairment” service, task type, remote service mode, code 4972, acronym PVIDADIFLO, which should be performed as a priority and emergency service.

Beneficiaries aged over 80 may apply for assistance through the “Request Proof of Life – Older than 80” task – code 4952, acronym PVIDAIDOSO, which should be performed as a priority and emergency service.

“The task ‘Request Proof of Life – Older than 80’ will automatically create the subtask ‘External Search – Proof of Life’ – code 4953, acronym PEXPROVIDA, which should also be performed as a priority and emergency procedure,” the ordinance states.

According to the INSS, the credit blocking routine, suspension and termination of benefits for lack of proof of life will not cover the benefits whose procedure is pending external research by the INSS, applied for before the payroll is processed.

The ordinance extends the routine of benefit suspension for two more periods (July and August) due to the Professional Rehabilitation Program’s inability to be executed.