Lula Raises Brazil Welfare Payments Before October Election

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced Thursday that the country's main cash-transfer program for poor families will rise 15%, and that the government will offer free weight-loss injections, two weeks before Brazil's Oct. 4 presidential election, according to The Guardian.

What is changing and when?

The monthly Bolsa Família payment rises from about £98 to about £113, The Guardian reported. The increase takes effect Oct. 19 — two weeks after election day and days before the likely Oct. 25 runoff. Lula said the change is "not really an increase, but an adjustment in line with inflation to protect the purchasing power of the most vulnerable families."

Who gets the extra money?

Families with income up to £32 per person qualify for Bolsa Família, covering roughly 50 million people, about 27 million of them old enough to vote, according to the Guardian report. The increase is expected to reach between 15% and 20% of Brazil's electorate — a bloc large enough to matter in what polls show is a close race.

What about the weight-loss jabs?

Lula also pledged free weight-loss injections as part of Thursday's announcement, though the Guardian report did not specify eligibility rules, drug names, or a rollout date for that program.

Why do critics call the timing suspicious?

Flávio Bolsonaro, the far-right senator and son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, is Lula's opponent in the Oct. 4 vote and has been gaining ground in recent polls, per the Guardian. He called the welfare increase an "act of desperation" and said Lula was trying to "buy the votes of the poor."

"Act of desperation." — Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, on Lula's welfare announcement

The most recent poll, released Thursday night, still showed Lula numerically ahead despite a technical tie, the Guardian reported.

What happens next?

• 2003: Bolsa Família launches during Lula's first term, a flagship anti-poverty program credited with lifting millions of families out of poverty.
• Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026: Lula announces the 15% payment increase and free weight-loss jabs.
• Oct. 4, 2026: Brazilians vote in the first round of the presidential election.
• Oct. 19, 2026: The higher Bolsa Família payment takes effect.
• Oct. 25, 2026: A runoff vote is expected if no candidate wins a majority Oct. 4.

For residents who rely on Bolsa Família, the practical change lands after the first vote but before any runoff — meaning the bigger check will already be in bank accounts if a second round happens. Families should watch their program notifications in mid-October for confirmation of the new payment amount, since the government has not published a separate rollout guide beyond the Oct. 19 date cited by Lula.

Neither the exact cost of the increase to the federal budget nor further detail on the weight-loss injection program was included in Thursday's announcement, according to the Guardian's reporting.