INSS Notifies 4 Million Beneficiaries to Prove They Are Alive in Person After Automatic Data Cross-Check Fails (October 2025)

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 INSS (Brazil’s National Social Security Institute) has begun calling in about 4 million beneficiaries to complete the proof-of-life requirement in person, after failures in the automatic data cross-check that is supposed to confirm remotely that the benefit holder is still alive. The measure affects retirees, survivor pensioners and other insured persons whose records could not be validated against official databases in October 2025.

What Prompted the Mass Summons

Proof of life is an annual procedure in which the INSS confirms that a benefit holder is still alive, preventing improper payments after an insured person dies. In recent years, the agency has given priority to what it calls automatic proof of life, which relies on cross-checking public databases and does not require the beneficiary to visit an office.

According to information released by the agency itself, the automatic cross-check was unable to confirm the status of roughly 4 million people. This happens when a beneficiary had no recorded activity in the databases used during the reference period, such as bank transactions tied to the benefit, document updates, voting, vaccination, or use of federal public services.

To fill that gap, the agency has resumed individual summonses. Beneficiaries whose status was not confirmed automatically receive a notice to prove they are alive, and their payments will be blocked until the matter is resolved if they do not.

Who Must Show Up and How to Confirm Your Status

The summons does not apply to every INSS beneficiary. It covers only those whose records were not validated by the data cross-check. Each benefit holder should check his or her own status before going to an office, since most insured persons had their proof of life completed without doing anything.

You can check through the Meu INSS app (the INSS’s official mobile app and online portal) or by calling the 135 phone line. In the app, you can see whether a proof-of-life requirement is pending and, in many cases, complete it with facial recognition on your own phone, without going anywhere.

When digital confirmation is not possible, the benefit holder can go to the bank branch where the benefit is paid or to an INSS service office. Proof is also possible through other acts that generate a record in official databases, such as updating your registration information or attending a medical examination, when the benefit requires one.

For people who have difficulty getting around, are of advanced age, or are bedridden, the law guarantees home service. In these cases, a legal representative or a family member can request a visit from an agency employee, or arrange for proof of life through a duly registered attorney-in-fact.

What Happens If You Do Not Complete the Proof of Life

The direct consequence of failing to respond is that your payment is blocked. If a beneficiary who has been summoned does not confirm that he or she is alive within the deadline, the INSS suspends the monthly payment until the situation is resolved. The stated purpose is to stop benefits from continuing to be paid to people who have already died.

It is important to distinguish between a block and a termination. A block is temporary and reversible: as soon as proof of life is completed, payment resumes, including the amounts that were not paid during the suspension, when the delay was caused only by the pending confirmation.

Permanent termination of a benefit requires its own procedure, with the right to a full defense and to adversarial proceedings (contraditório, the right to be heard and to respond). A beneficiary who believes a block was improper can challenge it administratively and, if necessary, go to court to have payments restored and recover the withheld installments.

The continuation of the benefit and the duty to prove that the holder is alive come from Law 8.213/91, which governs the RGPS (Brazil’s General Social Security Regime). The law authorizes the INSS to require periodic updates of the insured person’s data as a condition for continued payment.

A block for lack of proof of life is temporary and reversible, and withheld payments must be paid back as soon as the beneficiary confirms that he or she is alive.

For that reason, anyone who has been summoned should not treat the notice as the loss of the benefit. The right response is to check for the pending requirement and complete the procedure quickly, preferably through the digital channels, reserving in-person visits for cases in which remote confirmation is not possible.

Your Rights When You Are Summoned

You have the right to clear information about why you were summoned and about the ways you can prove you are alive. The INSS must offer alternatives to appearing in person, especially for older adults, people with disabilities, and beneficiaries with limited mobility.

You are also entitled to a reasonable period to comply. A suspension cannot be imposed abruptly, without the benefit holder having actually been notified and having had the opportunity to meet the requirement. Generic notices, or notices that never reach the beneficiary, can invalidate the block.

If you received the summons by mistake, because you already completed proof of life or your data is in good standing, you should report the inconsistency and keep your service protocol numbers. These records are essential for reversing any improper suspension and for showing the insured person’s good faith.

Scams are another concern. Criminals often take advantage of summonses like this one to commit fraud, asking for bank details, passwords, or payments for a supposed regularization. The INSS does not charge a fee for proof of life and does not ask for your app or card password by phone or message.

How to Protect Yourself and Keep Your Benefit in Good Standing

The best way to avoid future blocks is to keep activity on record in the databases the INSS checks for automatic proof of life. Using the account where your benefit is deposited, keeping your documents up to date, and using digital public services all help the system confirm that you are alive without a summons.

Keeping your Meu INSS registration current, with the correct phone number and address, is also critical. Many summonses never reach the beneficiary because the contact information is out of date, which increases the risk of suspension simply because the person never knew about the notice.

Keep in mind that amounts such as the minimum social security benefit track the current minimum wage, now set at R$ 1.621,00, while the RGPS ceiling is R$ 8.475,55. Even a temporary suspension directly hits the income of millions of families who rely on this payment for essential expenses, which underscores the urgency of responding to the summons.

If you have any doubt about whether a demand for payment is legitimate, or about the correct way to meet the requirement, the safe course is to use only the agency’s official channels and to seek specialized legal advice before handing over any information or making unnecessary trips.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know whether I need to do the proof of life in person?

Check your status in the Meu INSS app or website, in the proof-of-life section, or call the 135 line. If the automatic cross-check confirmed that you are alive, there will be no pending requirement and you do not need to do anything. If there is a pending notice, the system itself will tell you whether you can finish with facial recognition on your phone or whether you must appear in person.

If my benefit is blocked, do I lose the payments for that period?

No. The block is temporary. Once you complete the proof of life, payment resumes, and the amounts that were not paid during the suspension must be paid to you, since the delay was caused only by the pending confirmation. You lose the benefit permanently only if it is properly terminated, and you have the right to defend yourself in that process.

Can a bedridden or elderly beneficiary do the proof of life at home?

Yes. The law guarantees home service for people who have difficulty getting around, are bedridden, or are of advanced age. You can make the request through the 135 line or Meu INSS, and proof of life can also be completed by an attorney-in-fact or legal representative who has been previously registered with the agency.

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