22 million Brazilians file for emergency aid

State-owned bank Caixa informed that 22 million people have filed for the BRL 600 emergency salary for informal workers, after filings started on April 7. The payment should begin on April 9 for those with bank accounts at Caixa or Banco do Brasil — another state-owned bank. So far, 9 million applicants do not have an account — but Caixa will wire their money to a free digital savings account.

Experts heard by O Globo said that the emergency program will not be enough to compensate for the halt of the in-person economy and provide assistance for vulnerable populations in Brazil. Tatiana Roque, a vice-president at the Brazilian Network for Minimum Income, was quoted by O Globo saying that 15 million low-income workers are not eligible for the benefit. Another 6 million vulnerable individual entrepreneurs that don’t meet government criteria.

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