In the first half of 2026, INSS analyzed a record volume of requests to reduce the waiting queue, granting approximately 4.2 million benefits against about 4.3 million denials. The approval rate was 49.5%, close to that recorded in previous years, such as 50.6% in 2021 and 50.5% in 2022.
Between January and May, the monthly average of denials reached 668.6 thousand, representing an increase of approximately 70% compared to the same period in 2025. INSS claims this growth follows the overall increase in decisions made, and does not result from a more rigorous analysis of requests.
According to the agency, as more accumulated processes are evaluated, the absolute number of both approvals and denials grows. What changed was not the analysis criteria, but rather the scale of operations to reduce the beneficiary queue.
Specialized INSS benefits lawyer Artur Araujo highlights that, although reducing the queue is an important goal, many people received a denial this year and did not know they only have thirty days to appeal the decision.
