Public policies
INSS proof of life: find out what’s changing from 2023
An administrative order published in the Official Gazette on 24 January this year confirmed that the INSS (National Social Security Institute) will be responsible for carrying out life certificates for beneficiaries from this year onwards. In other words, insured persons will no longer need to leave their homes to confirm that they are alive in order to ensure the continued payment of their retirement pensions, other pensions and benefits.
According to the federal government, the Social Security team is to carry out this proof-of-life process through the automatic cross-referencing of data.
See below for further information:
The data will the INSS use to carry out the verification of life?
The following information (provided or updated within 10 months of the person’s birthday) will be accepted as proof of life:
– Access to the ‘Meu INSS’ app with a gold seal, or other apps and systems operated by public bodies and entities that have certification and access control, in Brazil or abroad;
– Taking out a payroll-deducted loan via biometric authentication;
– Visiting an INSS branch in person or using biometric authentication at partner organisations or institutions; undergoing a medical examination, either via telemedicine or in person; and using the public health system or a network of approved healthcare providers;
– Vaccinations;
– Registration or re-registration with road traffic or public safety authorities;
– Updates to the CADÚNICO register, only when carried out by the person in charge of the Group;
– Voting in elections;
– Issuing or renewing a passport; driving licence; employment record book; military registration; identity card; or other official documents requiring the user’s physical presence or biometric verification;
– Receipt of benefit payments requiring biometric verification;
– Income tax returns, as a taxpayer or dependent.
How will the INSS will carry out the proof-of-life check by comparing data?
The INSS will receive data from partner organisations and compare it with the information already recorded in its database.
Here is an example: “A person receives a flu jab at a public health centre. When Upon receiving this information, the INSS obtains confirmation of the beneficiary’s survival, and this confirmation will be used to compile a set of information about the individual, bringing together various records logged throughout the year across the different partner databases. Once a sufficient number of activities recorded in the partner databases over the course of the year have been accumulated, the system will consider the proof of life to have been provided, ensuring that the benefit is maintained until the next cycle.
What happens if the INSS is unable to verify that a person is alive simply by comparing data?
According to the INSS website, should this happen, the beneficiary will be automatically notified via the relevant channels remotely (via the ‘Meu INSS’ app and the 135 helpline) and/or via a bank notification in order to carry out any action that can be identified in a database.
The insured person will have 60 days from the date the notice is issued to carry out any of the actions described in the Ministerial Order. A very simple way to provide this proof is by using the ‘Meu INSS’ app.
O What happens if the person fails to provide proof of life within 60 days?
If no activity is identified in the database within this period, or even if the person is unable to provide a minimum ‘set of information’ to provide proof of life, the INSS will schedule automatically trigger an external search, which will be carried out by an INSS server to locate the beneficiary. For this search to be successful, it is very important that the insured person’s address and contact details are always kept up to date on Meu INSS.
In any case, pensioners can rest assured whilst awaiting the completion of the proof-of-life process because, for the time being, payments will not be suspended due to a lack of proof of life.
And although it is no longer compulsory, anyone who wishes to do so can still provide proof of life by visiting a branch of the bank through which they receive their payment or by using the ‘Meu INSS’ app. By calling 135, you can find out when the last proof of life was provided or clarify any other queries. It is important to note that the INSS does not recommend that the The policyholder should go to one of the organisation’s branches to provide this proof of life.
