Cash transfer programs in Brazil: A multidimensional study of Bolsa Escola, Bolsa alimentação and cartão alimentação program implementation

Abstract

The implementation of cash transfer (CT) programs Bolsa Escola (PNBE), Bolsa Alimentação (PBA) and Cartão Alimentação (PCA) was analyzed, collecting data about the legislative "structure" and infrastructure, the implementation "process" and the "results", as far as benefits granted and impacts. This study considers that the adoption of CT policies in Brazil implies in an improvement when compared to previous interventions, especially as regard the promotion of human right to adequate food. It was observed that inadequate legislation can hinder program implementation; so it happened with the centralized model of PNBE, with the ill defined states' attributions in PBA and the absence of clear norms of PCA. There were obstacles during implementation process acting in synergy to block the access to portions of the poorest population. The requirement of civil documents and proof of residence, as well as the demand to present food purchase invoices, reinforced preexisting inequities. This study points out the challenge in the direction of articulating CT programs with other interventions aimed at promoting social rights, demanding interdisciplinary approaches as a way to grant to the excluded an entry into the world of rights.