Auxílio-Acidente (Accident Benefit): What It Is, Who Receives It and the Amount in 2026

This page is a translation of the original Portuguese text, provided for convenience. It deals with Brazilian law. If there is any discrepancy, the Portuguese version prevails. Read the original in Portuguese

The auxílio-acidente is paid by INSS (Brazil’s National Social Security Institute) to workers who suffer an accident and are left with a permanent impairment that reduces their capacity to work, even if they keep working normally.

What the Auxílio-Acidente Is and What It Is For

The auxílio-acidente is provided for in Article 86 of Law 8.213/1991 and is compensatory in nature. It differs from the temporary disability benefit because it does not require the worker to be off the job. In fact, it is granted precisely to people who, despite their impairment, can still perform some kind of work, but under reduced conditions compared with their state before the accident.

The benefit rests on an injury that has stabilized and left a permanent impairment. When the INSS physician certifies that the worker has reached maximum possible recovery and that a permanent impairment remains, the temporary disability benefit ends and the auxílio-acidente may be granted in its place, if there is a reduction in work capacity.

The impairment does not have to be so severe that it prevents all work. It is enough that it reduces the worker’s functional capacity for his or her usual activity. Partial loss of vision in one eye, reduced mobility in a limb, or hearing loss resulting from a workplace accident can all support a claim. Impairments that affect fine motor coordination, such as persistent tremors or loss of sensation in the extremities, are also accepted, as long as they demonstrably limit performance in the activity the insured person carried out before the accident.

Who Is Entitled to the Auxílio-Acidente

The following insured persons are entitled to the auxílio-acidente: employees (including domestic workers), casual dock workers (trabalhadores avulsos) and special insured persons (segurados especiais, such as small-scale rural workers). Self-employed individuals, independent contractors and service providers, as well as voluntary contributors, are not entitled to this benefit, under Article 18, § 1, of Law 8.213/1991.

Employees do not have to meet a minimum contribution period. The benefit stems from the accident itself, and protection is automatic from the first day of formal employment. Special insured persons are likewise exempt from the minimum contribution period for an auxílio-acidente resulting from an accident of any kind.

The auxílio-acidente can be received together with your salary, because it does not require you to stop working: it is paid to people who work with a permanent impairment.

The accident does not have to be work-related. Traffic accidents, household accidents or accidents of any other kind that leave a permanent impairment reducing work capacity also qualify for the benefit, as long as the insured person was properly registered with INSS on the date of the event.

Auxílio-Acidente Amount in 2026

The auxílio-acidente equals 50% of the benefit base salary (salário de benefício) that gave rise to the temporary disability benefit that came before it. If there was no prior temporary benefit, which is less common, the benefit base salary is calculated from the insured person’s contributions.

Under no circumstances can the auxílio-acidente be lower than the current minimum wage. With the minimum wage at R$ 1.621,00 in 2026, the floor for the benefit is R$ 810,50 (50% of the minimum wage). The benefit is adjusted annually by the INPC (National Consumer Price Index), following the same rates applied to the other social security benefits paid by INSS.

The auxílio-acidente can be combined with a salary, since the worker keeps working. It cannot, however, be combined with a retirement pension. When the insured person retires, the auxílio-acidente is incorporated into the retirement calculation if it was still being paid on the date of the application, according to the rule set out in the applicable social security legislation.

The Difference Between the Auxílio-Acidente and Workplace Accident Compensation

The auxílio-acidente is a social security benefit paid by INSS. Compensation for a workplace accident is a civil-law obligation of the employer, paid in a lump sum or in installments, when the employer was at fault or acted with intent in causing the accident. The two can be combined when the accident resulted from the employer’s negligence.

To better understand your rights after a workplace accident, including the employer’s responsibilities and the compensation that may be due, see the firm’s article on rights and responsibilities in workplace accidents.

How to Apply for the Auxílio-Acidente

Applications for the auxílio-acidente follow specific rules within INSS. In general, the benefit is granted automatically when the temporary disability benefit ends with a finding of a permanent impairment that reduces work capacity. The final medical examination reviews tests, medical certificates and the insured person’s clinical progress to determine whether the impairment exists and whether it is related to the original accident. When INSS fails to grant the auxílio-acidente in cases with an obvious causal link, you may file an administrative request for review based on the impairment that was identified.

If the insured person did not previously receive the temporary disability benefit, the application must be filed directly through the Meu INSS portal or app, attaching medical records, additional tests, a police report in the case of a traffic accident, and specialist reports. Solid proof of the impairment and of the functional loss speeds up the review and lowers the risk of denial. In workplace accident cases, the Workplace Accident Notification (Comunicação de Acidente de Trabalho, known as the CAT), issued by the employer, strengthens the documentation submitted to the social security agency.

If the claim is denied, the insured person may file an administrative appeal with the Social Security Appeals Council, which reviews the medical examination and the documents again. Once the administrative route has been exhausted without a satisfactory result, going to court is the next step. Court-ordered medical examinations are often decisive in establishing the right, which is why submitting detailed reports, imaging tests and specialist opinions early increases the chances of success.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is the auxílio-acidente paid?

The auxílio-acidente is paid for life, until any retirement pension is granted. It has no end date based on recovery, because the impairment is permanent by definition. The only grounds for termination are retirement, the death of the insured person, or cancellation for fraud proven by INSS in an administrative proceeding.

Can I apply for the auxílio-acidente without having received the temporary disability benefit first?

Yes, but it is less common. The auxílio-acidente can be granted directly when the impairment is immediate and there is no period of total disability. For example, losing a finger in a workplace accident may not take the worker off the job entirely, but it leaves a permanent impairment that justifies a direct application for the auxílio-acidente.

Which impairments does INSS accept for granting the auxílio-acidente?

The law does not provide an exhaustive list of accepted impairments. The test is functional: any permanent impairment that reduces your capacity to do your usual work can support the claim. Recognized examples include hearing loss, partial amputation, reduced range of motion in joints, partial vision loss and neurological impairments with motor limitations.

Auxílio-Doença vs. Disability Retirement in 2026.

As informações deste artigo são de caráter informativo e não substituem consulta jurídica individualizada. Cada caso possui particularidades que exigem análise específica.