Brazil Aid of US$116 is insufficient for 56% of beneficiaries -Datafolha

One of the main bets of President Jair Bolsonaro (Liberal Party – PL) to grow in the electoral polls, the temporary Brazil Aid of R$600 (US$116), is seen as insufficient by most of the population.

That is what a new survey by Datafolha, hired by Folha, shows. It interviewed 2,556 people in 183 cities on July 27 and 28. The margin of error is two points higher or lower.

The package of measures contained in the bill of social benefits, which includes aid for truckers and taxi drivers, and the increase in the value of the gas voucher, is also perceived as electioneering by most of those interviewed.

According to Datafolha, 56% of voters say that the maximum value of R$600 for the aid is insufficient, 36% classify it as sufficient, and 7% evaluate the amount as more than enough.

Among those who receive the benefit, 54% consider the amount insufficient, 38% assess it as sufficient, and 8% say it is more than enough.

In the May survey, in which they were asked about the R$400 payment, an amount that will be temporarily increased from August to December, 69% of the beneficiaries stated that the benefit was insufficient, 29% classified it as sufficient, and 2%, as more than enough.

According to the survey, 25% of those interviewed receive or live with a beneficiary of the program that replaced Bolsa Família. In May, this was 21%. Among the beneficiaries (direct or indirect), 63% are women.

ELECTORAL MOTIVATION

Asked about why the government offered the benefits package scheduled to end at the end of the year, 61% of voters said the main objective was to win votes for President Bolsonaro.

Another 31% said that the government mainly wants to help people in need, while 6% see the two motivations together and 2% do not give an opinion.

There is no significant difference in this question between the opinion of those who are beneficiaries (59% evaluate that the motivation is mainly electoral and 32% highlight the goal of helping the poor) and voters who do not receive the aid (61% and 31%, respectively).

Among those who approve of the government, 20% see the package mainly for electoral purposes, and 68% highlight the intention to help people.

The percentages for those who disapprove of the current administration are 87% and 9%, respectively.

The perception of the electoral objective is also higher among voters between 16 and 24 years old (69%).

Even with the flurry of announcements of economic benefits, such as the increase in Brazil Aid and, especially, the pressure for a drop in fuel prices, Bolsonaro remains in second place in the survey, practically the same position as in the previous survey.

Another bet of the government is the consigned credit for the aid beneficiaries. Folha’s report showed that the federal government has not yet released the modality, but loans are already being offered, with interest rates of almost 80% per year.

The Brazil Aid of R$600, the Gas Aid that can reach around R$120, and the Truck Driver Aid are the first to be released by the government, starting August 9. The Taxi Driver Aid is scheduled to be paid on the 16th.

All benefits will be paid temporarily until December, according to Constitutional Amendment 123, which determined a state of emergency in the country to circumvent electoral legislation and justify spending. In all, about 22 million citizens should receive the benefits.

With information from Folha de S.Paulo