How to Request a Refund of Unauthorized INSS Deductions

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

Retirees and pension recipients of INSS (Brazil’s National Social Security Institute) who have found unauthorized association fees deducted from their benefits can request a refund through the Meu INSS app and website or by calling the 135 hotline, with the full amount adjusted for inflation as measured by the IPCA.

Who can request a refund of the deductions

You can request reimbursement if association fees were deducted from your benefit payments without valid authorization. The Instituto Nacional do Seguro Social (INSS) has begun notifying these beneficiaries through the Meu INSS app itself, informing them of the charge and the organization behind each deduction.

The measure covers deductions made between March 2020 and March 2025, a period in which many associations charged membership fees against benefits without the account holder’s formal consent. When you receive the notification, you can see the name of the organization responsible and indicate whether or not you recognize the charge.

If you never authorized any membership, or you don’t remember signing up with any organization, you are among those who most need to check your statement and file a formal dispute. Checking does not depend on whether you are currently a member: all that matters is that the deduction was taken from your benefit.

Step-by-step guide to filing through Meu INSS and the 135 hotline

In the Meu INSS app or on the website, go to the service called “Consultar Descontos de Entidades Associativas” (Check Deductions by Associations). The screen shows the name of the organization and the options for stating whether or not you authorized the charge.

When you select the option stating that you did not authorize the deduction, the system confirms that your request was successfully registered and that the association will have a set deadline to respond to your dispute. From that point on, all you need to do is follow the progress through the official channels.

If you have difficulty with technology, the 135 Call Center (Central de Teleatendimento 135) serves the same purpose. It is open Monday through Saturday, from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., and the entire dispute process can be completed by phone, with no need to visit an INSS office. Wait times tend to be shorter after 4 p.m. and on Saturdays.

You do not need to submit any additional documents when you file the request, because the review is based on information already in INSS’s system. Supplementary documentation may be requested only in situations that require clarification.

Once your request is registered, you do not need to file it again. You can follow the response, the finding of irregularity and any eventual deposit through the same channels you used to file the dispute.

You can request reimbursement if association fees were deducted from your benefit payments without valid authorization.

Deadlines for the associations and adjustment of the amounts

After you register your dispute, the association has fifteen business days to submit documentation proving that the deduction was authorized or to arrange the reimbursement. Valid proof must show that you actually signed up for the service being charged.

If the association does not provide proof, it must return the money to INSS using a specific payment slip. Once INSS receives the funds, it transfers the amount directly to the bank account linked to your benefit, the same account where you receive your monthly payments.

Refunded amounts are adjusted for inflation using the Índice Nacional de Preços ao Consumidor Amplo (IPCA), Brazil’s broad consumer price index. There is no fixed deadline for the deposit, since the total time depends on the association’s response within the fifteen-business-day period. If the association neither proves the deduction was proper nor returns the money, the case is referred to the Advocacia-Geral da União (AGU), Brazil’s Attorney General’s Office, for the appropriate collection measures.

How to avoid scams

The process of correcting these deductions has attracted fraud attempts, so staying alert is essential. Official contact about the refund comes only through a notification inside the Meu INSS app, not through outside messages.

INSS does not phone beneficiaries, send text messages or forward links asking for personal or banking information in order to release funds. Treat any approach of this kind as suspicious, because the legitimate process does not require payments, fees or middlemen.

Keeping app notifications turned on helps ensure you are alerted right away at each stage. If you have any doubt, use only the official channels, such as the federal government’s portal and the 135 hotline, and steer clear of unverified profiles and pages.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to receive a refund of INSS deductions?

There is no single deadline, because payment depends on the association’s response, and it has fifteen business days to prove authorization or return the money. After INSS receives the amount from the association, it deposits the refund into the same account where your benefit is paid. The amount is returned adjusted for inflation as measured by the IPCA.

Can I request a refund without using the Meu INSS app?

Yes. Besides the app and the website, you can file the entire request through the 135 Call Center, an option that is especially useful if you have difficulty with technology. The service is available Monday through Saturday, from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., and a dispute filed by phone is just as valid as one registered in the app.

What happens if the association cannot prove the deduction was authorized?

When the association fails to produce a document proving that you signed up, it must reimburse the money to INSS using its own payment slip, and INSS then deposits the amount into your account. If the association also fails to return the money, the case goes to the Advocacia-Geral da União, which is responsible for taking the legal steps to collect and recover the funds.

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