Brazil's federal government missed all official deadline targets for approving pensions, retirement benefits and a key low-income welfare payment in 2025, according to single-source reporting from Revista Oeste based on a report sent by the Planalto Palace, the seat of Brazil's executive branch, to the Federal Audit Court (TCU).
The National Social Security Institute (INSS), Brazil's agency for pensions and social-security benefits, left about 3 million Brazilians waiting for case reviews, the report said. The delays have added pressure to an already costly system as the government tries to reduce bottlenecks before the next election cycle.
Missed Targets
The sharpest delay involved the Benefício de Prestação Continuada (BPC), a benefit paid to low-income elderly people and people with disabilities. Brazil's multi-year budget plan had set a 101-day ceiling for granting the benefit, but the average analysis time reached 254 days near the end of 2025, according to the report cited by Revista Oeste.
Regular pensions and retirement claims also exceeded the official target. The planned limit was 44 days, but the average wait reached 62 days, the outlet reported.
The government told the TCU that operational instability and a shortage of staff in medical-exam centers contributed to the backlog. Medical evaluations are required for several types of disability-related benefits, including some BPC claims.
Technical Delays and Fraud Reviews
The INSS benefits directorate also paused computer systems to update household-income calculations under rules linked to Bolsa Família, Brazil's flagship cash-transfer program for low-income families. The agency said another source of delay was Operation Sem Desconto, a fraud-related review that required staff to audit and cancel improper deductions from beneficiaries' payments.
The slowdown increased internal pressure at the agency. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva removed Gilberto Waller Júnior from the INSS presidency, and Ana Cristina Viana Silveira took over with an instruction from Social Security Minister Wolney Queiroz to bring all responses within a maximum 45-day deadline, Revista Oeste reported.
To accelerate case reviews, the federal government authorized extra productivity bonuses for medical experts. The article did not provide details on the value of those payments or the number of professionals covered.
Budget Pressure
The delays intersect with a broader fiscal problem. Social-security payments have surpassed R$1 trillion a year, roughly USD 190 billion at recent exchange rates, and remain the largest mandatory expenditure in Brazil's federal budget.
The source report said projected spending for this year rose by R$14.1 billion, roughly USD 2.7 billion, for BPC and by R$11.5 billion, roughly USD 2.2 billion, for regular retirement benefits. Those increases forced the government to block funds for congressional amendments and ministry operating expenses, according to Revista Oeste.
There has been some improvement in the BPC queue for people with disabilities. Official indicators cited by the outlet show the wait fell to 134 days, but that remains above the current official ceiling.
The case matters beyond administrative performance. In Brazil, benefit delays affect household income directly, especially for elderly people, people with disabilities and low-income families that depend on federal transfers. They also expose the tension between faster benefit approvals and the government's effort to contain mandatory spending.