From January 2026, the recharge voucher for the Gás do Povo program will begin to be issued to families in the city of Rio de Janeiro, the Ministry of Development, Social Assistance, Family and Anti-Hunger (MDS) has informed. The first phase of distributing the grant will begin on Monday, the 24th of this month, which will cover about one million families in ten capitals in the country.
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In this first phase, the recharge voucher will be available in the following capitals: Salvador, Fortaleza, Goiânia, Belo Horizonte, Belem, Recife, Teresina, Natal, Porto Alegre and São Paulo.
According to MDS, the Gas for All program is being implemented in a pilot and phased manner:
“In 2025, the program is limited to one million households, specifically to allow for a safe, controlled and technically adequate start before national expansion,” the Ministry of Social Development said in a note. “The pilot program begins in the capitals and is divided into two phases: the first starting in November and the second in January 2026, including the city of Rio de Janeiro.”
The Ministry also informed that the planned timeline is being met without delay and reiterated that the program will cover the entire country from March 2026.
People’s Gas is the new policy of the Federal Government to expand access to cooking gas in the country. The program will gradually replace gas aid.
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The program will provide free refilling of 13kg cylinders at authorized retailers. The goal is to benefit up to 15 million households by March 2026 – about 50 million people.
How will degassing work?
Recharge will be made directly at distributors who have voluntarily joined the program, without intermediaries, through electronic verification. The responsible family can remove the gas using:
- Bolsa Familia Smart Card + Password
- Caixa account debit card + password
- The CPF code and verification code are sent to the registered cell phone
Who will have the right to benefit?
People covered by the Gás do Povo program are selected by the Ministry of Development and Social Assistance (MDS). Among the standards are the following:
- Registration in the Unified Register of Social Programs of the Federal Government (CadÚnico)
- Per capita income (per person) up to half of the minimum wage (R$ 759)
- The registration has been updated for at least 24 months
- Priority is given to families who already receive Bolsa Família
How to check if you are entitled
Beneficiaries can check if they have been selected through the following channels:
- My social app
- Caixa Citizen Portal
- Caixa Cidadão phone: 0800-726-0207
Support channels for inquiries:
- Phone 121
- Valabr
- Caixa SAC: 0800-726-0101