Overview

• Recoveries target cases flagged by federal data cross-checks, including formal employment during receipt, pensions, income above legal limits and duplicate payments.
• Repayment must be made in Vejae via PagTesouro, with options for Pix, credit card or GRU boleto, a 60-day deadline and installments of up to 60 months with a R$50 minimum per installment.
• The MDS says beneficiaries of Bolsa Família and Cadastro Único, those who received R$1,800 or less, and families within specified income thresholds are exempt from repayment.
• Nonpayment can lead to enrollment in the federal Dívida Ativa, listing in Cadin and negative credit records, and the government signals it may use administrative and judicial measures to secure recovery.
• Notifications are being sent by SMS, email, WhatsApp and the Notifica app, with the ministry warning it does not send payment links or boletos by message; São Paulo has the most cases, and Maranhão alone has about 2,600 families asked to return R$6.5 million.