Universal basic income in Brazil
In 2001 a law was introduced by Senator Eduardo Suplicy of the Brazilian Workers Party which mandated the progressive institution of such a welfare system.
Since then Brazil has started to implement the bill through the Bolsa Família program, which was a centerpiece of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's social policy, and is reputed to have played a role in his victory in the Brazilian presidential election, 2006.
During a trip to Brazil in 2005, the former president of the World Bank, Paul Wolfowitz said, "Bolsa Familia has already become a highly praised model of effective social policy.
[9][10] The Catholic Church, through its powerful National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB), maintains[11][12] that "the program is addictive" and leads its beneficiaries to an "accommodation".
On the contrary, says Bénédicte de la Brière, responsible for the program monitoring at the institution: "Adult work is not impacted by income transfers.
Surveys conducted by the Federal Government among Bolsa Família's beneficiaries indicate that the money is spent, in order of priority, on food; school supplies; clothing; and shoes.
[14] A study conducted by The Federal University of Pernambuco, using sophisticated statistical methods, inferred that 87% of the money is used, by families living in rural areas, to buy food.
[15] According to research promoted by some universities and the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) the program has clearly contributed to Brazil's recent improvements in its fight against poverty.
An ex ante econometric evaluation of Bolsa Escola did find significant effects on both school attendance rates and the number of children involved in child labor.
[21] Research promoted by the World Bank shows a significant reduction in child labor exploitation among children benefited by the Bolsa Família program.
Children in public schools receive one free meal a day—two in the poorest areas—and so less of their family's limited income is needed to pay for food.
