Retirement pensions

• Age retirement pension: urban male workers are entitled to this benefit at the age of 65 and female workers at the age of 60. Rural workers can apply for old-age retirement at five years younger: at 60 for men and 55 for women. To claim the benefit, urban workers registered after July 25, 1991, must prove 180 monthly contributions. Rural workers have to prove, with documents, that they have worked in the countryside for 180 months;^[13]
• Disability retirement pension: benefit granted to workers who, due to illness or accident, are considered incapable by the INSS medical examination to exercise their activities or another type of service that ensures their survival;^[14]
• Retirement for contribution time: it can be full or proportional. To be entitled to a full pension, a male worker must have at least 35 years of contributions and a female worker must have 30 years. To apply for proportional retirement, the worker has to combine two requirements: contribution time and minimum age. According to Constitutional Amendment No. 20 of December 15, 1998, men can apply for proportional retirement at 53 years of age and 30 years of contributions, plus an additional 40% on the time remaining on December 16, 1998, to complete 30 years of contributions, while women are entitled to proportional retirement at 48 years of age and 25 years of contributions, plus an additional 40% on the time remaining on December 16, 1998, to complete 25 years of contributions. To be entitled to full or proportional retirement, it is also necessary to fulfill the waiting period, which corresponds to the minimum number of monthly contributions required for the insured person to be entitled to the benefit. Those registered after July 25, 1991, must have at least 180 monthly contributions, while those affiliated before that date must follow the progressive table;^[15]
• Special retirement pension: benefit granted to insured workers who have worked in conditions harmful to their health or physical integrity. To be entitled to special retirement, the worker must prove, in addition to working time, effective exposure to physical, chemical or biological agents or a combination of harmful agents for the period required to grant the benefit (15, 20 or 25 years);^[16]

The loss of insured status will not be taken into account for the granting of retirement for length of service. Retirement for contribution time, age and special retirement are irreversible and cannot be waived: once they have received their first payment, withdrawn the PIS or the Guarantee Fund (whichever comes first), they cannot give up the benefit. Workers do not have to leave their jobs to apply for retirement.^[17]

Benefits

• Sickness benefit: granted to insured people who are unable to work due to illness or accident for more than 15 consecutive days. In the case of workers with a formal contract, the first 15 days are paid by the employer and the INSS pays from the 16th day of absence from work. In the case of individual contributors (entrepreneurs, freelance workers, among others), the Social Security system pays for the entire period of the illness or accident (as long as the worker has applied for the benefit). To be entitled to it, the worker must contribute to Social Security system for at least 12 months; this period will not be required in case of an accident of any kind (whether an accident at work or outside of work). The granting of the benefit and the number of assisted months is established by the INSS after a medical examination;^[18]
• Accident benefit: paid to workers who suffer an accident and are left with sequelae that reduce their ability to work. It is granted to insured people who were receiving sickness benefit. Employees, freelance workers and special insurers are entitled to accident benefit. Domestic workers, individual and optional contributors do not receive the benefit;^[19]
• Imprisonment benefit: the dependents of low-income insured workers who are detained for any reason are entitled to receive imprisonment benefit for the entire period of confinement. The benefit will be paid if the worker is not receiving a salary from the company, sickness benefit, retirement or in-service allowance. Law No. 13.846 of June 18, 2019, included item IV in article 25 of Law No. 8.213/91, instituting a grace period of twenty-four monthly contributions for the insured's dependents to be entitled to the benefit, in addition to requiring that the insured be imprisoned in a closed regime, with the semi-open regime no longer being allowed;^[20]

Salaries

• Maternity allowance: workers who contribute to Social Security system are entitled to maternity allowance for the 120 days they are away from work due to childbirth, pregnancy or breastfeeding. The amount paid is generally the same as the salary the worker was receiving before she took time off, although it can vary depending on the country or region you are in. The benefit is also extended to adoptive mothers. Employed workers are entitled to maternity allowance, while freelance or informal workers can receive a maternity benefit, which is a fixed amount paid by the government;^[21]
• Children's allowance: additional amount to the family income granted for children under 14 who attend school. This benefit is paid to workers with a monthly salary of up to R$862,60 to help support children up to the age of 14 who are incomplete or disabled;^[22]

Pensions

• Death pension: benefit paid to a worker's family when he or she dies. There is no minimum contribution period for a death pension, but the accident must have occurred while the worker was insured;^[23]