Social protection and public policy for vulnerable populations: an assessment of the Continuous Cash Benefit Program of Welfare in Brazil

Abstract This paper describes the historical development and profile of Continuous Cash Benefit (BPC) applicants, intended for poor elderly and people with disabilities, which, since 2009, uses eligibility criteria based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) of the WHO and is aligned with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The behavior of benefits was determined from the analysis the coefficients of the general and non-judicial grants between 1998 and 2014. The profile was established for the years 2010 and 2014 according to situation of acceptance, age, gender and ICF components. The average annual growth of the coefficient was higher from 2000 to 2010, prior to the adoption of the biopsychosocial eligibility model, and the coefficient of non-judicial grants increased until 2010, falling thereafter. The deferrals acceptance /rejections ratio was higher among children and among those facing severe or total environmental barriers, limitations, constraints and bodily changes. The implementation of the biopsychosocial evaluation model did not cause an increased rate of grants and results evidence the need for flexibility in the eligibility criteria.

摘要 本文阐述了面向贫困老年人与残疾人群体的持续现金津贴（Continuous Cash Benefit, BPC）申请者的历史发展与群体画像。该津贴自2009年起采用世界卫生组织（WHO）《国际功能、残疾和健康分类》（International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, ICF）制定的资格审核标准，并契合《联合国残疾人权利公约》的相关要求。本研究通过分析1998年至2014年间常规救助与非司法救助的相关系数，明确了该津贴的发放运行态势；基于2010年与2014年的申请受理情况、年龄、性别及ICF维度，构建了申请者的群体画像。研究显示，在引入生物-心理-社会资格审核模型之前的2000年至2010年间，相关系数的年均增长率更高；而非司法救助系数则在2010年前持续攀升，此后出现回落。儿童群体以及面临严重或完全性环境障碍、功能受限、约束性障碍与躯体功能改变的申请者，其延期受理与驳回的比例更高。生物-心理-社会评估模型的推行并未提升救助发放率，研究结果证实，资格审核标准亟需增强灵活性。