Overview
- The INSS backlog peaked at about 3.1 million pending benefit requests in February 2026 and the government reports it fell to roughly 2.3 million by May 2026.
- President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva publicly renewed the September target on June 11, 2026 and credited Ana Cristina Viana Silveira, the INSS’s new president, with promising to eliminate the queue.
- Key measures the ministry points to include Instrução Normativa PRES/INSS nº 203 (issued April 22) that blocks duplicate filings and a large increase in medical and documental exams, with April figures showing about 511,000 in-person and 473,000 documental reviews.
- Officials warn the goal is ambitious because the INSS receives about 1.3 million new requests each month and roughly 20% of current pending files rely on applicants to send missing documents or complete steps.
- The drive to clear the queue responds to a long-standing promise since 2022 and carries political weight ahead of elections while also aiming to reduce delays that leave retirees and claimants without timely benefits.