Government Declares INSS Backlog 'Zeroed' After August Processing Gains

Overview

• The ministry announced that in August the INSS processed more files than it received in new requests, a shift officials describe as 'zeroing' the backlog because it turned a stock of pending cases into a sustained processing flow.
• Authorities attribute the improvement to operational steps including hiring public servants by concurso, 865 agencies using telemedicine, use of documental medical exams, weekend mutirões and performance bonuses for staff.
• Despite the announcement, about 200,000–224,000 complex or special cases remain awaiting decisions beyond the 45-day legal limit, and those are being treated as a separate residual stock.
• The government expanded the Programa de Gerenciamento de Benefícios to fast-track requests older than 30 days, broaden which benefit types get priority and keep extra pay for staff who meet throughput targets.
• The turnaround follows a peak backlog of roughly 3.128 million in February and should reduce wait-related hardship if maintained, but independent analysts emphasize that 'zered' means restored flow rather than literal closure of every pending file.