‘Meat here at home has become a luxury’, says Auxílio Brasil beneficiary who was denied a loan

Since the end of the elections, Auxílio Brasil beneficiaries have had difficulty obtaining the payroll loan associated with this benefit.

In Caixa branches in various regions of the city of São Paulo visited by the report, the information is that the line is not available, but that demand continues. Attendants claim that at least five people go to the units a day with the intention of getting the loan, without success.

This is the case of Carien Barth, 54. She is unemployed and, since mid-October, has been trying to get credit. According to her, on the first attempt, the loan of R$ 2,400 appeared as approved in the Caixa Tem app, but was soon cancelled.

When she went to a Caixa Econômica Federal branch in person to try, for the third time, to get the credit, the manager informed her that the request was refused because she already had a loan through the SIM Digital still in effect. Carien says that the manager informed her that, if she paid off the debt at that time, the Auxílio Brasil loan could be granted.

Caixa is the main provider of this type of loan.

On its website, the bank informs that customers with an irregular CPF, with the aid that is already expected to end, who have alerts for non-attendance to the summons carried out by the Ministry of Citizenship, who have been receiving the benefit for less than 90 days or who do not receive the benefit through account credit are not eligible for the loan, according to the rules established by the government. The reason that served as justification for the denial of Carien’s request is not on the list.

“I’m even ashamed to say it, but meat here at home has become a luxury”, says the resident of Novo Hamburgo (RS). She applied for a loan to pay off debts and buy a basic food basket.

Caixa says that systems had a scheduled suspension, but does not comment on difficulties

In a note, Caixa informs that, between November 25th and December 8th, the payroll of Auxílio Brasil was processed, a routine that involves the bank, Dataprev (Company of Technology and Information of Social Security) and the Ministry of Citizenship. During this period, taking out new loans is suspended, says Caixa, but would resume from last Monday, 12.

Even after informing that customers still cannot access the credit line after this date, Caixa reiterated the information that the payroll for those who receive Auxílio Brasil is available at the branches.

According to reports from employees working at Caixa branches in São Paulo, on Monday, the system remained offline. Already on Tuesday, the 13th, reports were that the system was available again, but it had oscillations. On that same day, at the branches, the information, right at the entrance, was that hiring was not taking place.

Upon hearing that Caixa was no longer granting this type of credit, Dannielle Souza Silva, 49, tried to get payroll in the amount of R$ 2,100 through Banco Pan. According to her, the benefit was approved, but shortly afterwards the bank canceled the loan and she was advised to contact another institution to get lower interest rates.

The resident of Belford Roxo (RJ) says she intended to use the money to pay off debts and buy clothes to present to her children at the end of the year.

According to the federal government, in addition to Caixa and Banco Pan, 14 other banks were also authorized, at the beginning of October, to grant payroll loans from Auxilio Brasil. THE Sheet got in touch with all of them and, with the exception of Caixa, all of them informed that they are no longer evaluating new proposals for this type of payroll loan. Most of them did not even offer the loan to customers.

In a note, the Daycoval bank, one of the accredited to offer the payroll to the beneficiaries of the Auxílio Brasil, states that “it is carefully studying the rules of adherence to the ordinance of the Ministry of Citizenship, since the activation of the product requires the realization of systemic adjustments unforeseen”.

The payroll loan from Auxílio Brasil started to be granted on the eve of the second round of elections amid controversy. The electoral measure was regulated late and suffered criticism from experts for compromising a benefit that should be destined for subsistence.

For Cintia Senna, financial educator at DSOP financial education, this is a riskier type of credit than any other because it compromises aid that is temporary and of very low value.

She recommends that beneficiaries of the Auxílio Brasil do not resort to payroll loans to settle debts, which would create yet another expense, but that they use the entirety of the benefit to guarantee food and survival.

According to the educator, the ideal thing is for these beneficiaries to use 100% of the aid for day-to-day expenses and, at the same time, look for other sources of income that are more durable for the payment of debts. Senna also suggests that the bills be renegotiated to fit the monthly budget.

After the elections, a committee made up of employees and former directors of Caixa delivered a document to President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) in which a review of this type of credit is recommended, with a warning about the risk of over-indebtedness for families low-income.