Congress overturns Lula's veto and releases lifetime pension for Zika victims

In a session marked by strong mobilization of family members and civil society organizations, the National Congress overturned President Lula's (PT) veto on Tuesday 17th to the bill that guarantees a lifetime pension and compensation to people with permanent disabilities resulting from infection by the Zika virus.

The bill establishes a monthly pension equivalent to the INSS ceiling (currently around just over R$8,000) and a one-time compensation of R$50,000 per victim. The benefit is for life, exempt from Income Tax and can be accumulated with other welfare benefits, such as the Continuous Benefit, without undergoing periodic review.

calculated defeat

The veto's overturn signals a political defeat for the Executive, although government representatives are trying to minimize the damage, claiming that there was a prior agreement for the vote. The Planalto Palace had chosen to block the proposal on the grounds that it generated permanent expenses without indicating funding sources.

As an alternative, the government issued a provisional measure that provided for the payment of a single amount of 60 thousand reais to the affected families, which was rejected by congressmen.

It is estimated that around 1,600 people will benefit from the pension, with an annual budgetary impact of 154 million reais.

Next steps

With the veto overturned, the text will be sent for enactment. Lula has up to 48 hours to sanction it. If he fails to do so, the task will fall to the president or vice-president of the Senate, as provided for in the Constitution.

Next, the government will be responsible for detailing the procedures for applying for the pension, including the presentation of medical reports and supporting documents. The benefit will be granted based on a technical opinion from a medical board and may be combined with other forms of assistance, without income restrictions.