The first day of payment for Auxílio Brasil, which replaces Bolsa Família, had two-hour long lines at Caixa branches on the east side of São Paulo. Most were seeking to clear up concerns and obtain information, but there were also cases of those who had to seek face-to-face assistance to resolve problems in the Caixa Tem application. There were also emergency aid beneficiaries withdrawing their last installment.
The city of Rio de Janeiro woke up this Wednesday (17) with queues at social assistance points due to questions about the start of payments for the new program. To account for the increase in demand for assistance, the Municipal Social Assistance Department states that it had to reinforce the teams at the CRAS (Social Assistance Reference Centers) units.
In Salvador (BA), in an attempt to reduce the service lines, the city hall provided appointments with the social assistance network.
Atthe Caixa agencies visited for the report in São Paulo, no one had spent the night in line. People started arriving after 7:30 am on Wednesday (17), half an hour before branches opened, and lines increased around lunchtime.
Translated by Kiratiana Freelon