Abstract (Translated):
Since 2004, the social assistance policy has been subject to significant changes. Following the changes designed to manage the policy, the funding model also became the object of reflection and change. Since the publication of the Basic Operational Norm - Norma Operacional Básica (NOB) in 2005, a new funding arrangement has been constructed in order to build and consolidate the Unified Social Assistance System - Sistema Único de Assistência Social (Suas). This new arrangement brought important advances as the consolidation of regular and automatic federal transfers, the federal funding to municipalities through the minimum levels and the incorporation of more equitable sharing criteria of new federal funds for the financing of social assistance in states and municipalities. Despite the achievements already made, the funding model still has significant limitations, especially the low participation of the state governments in the financing of the System. Also, although municipalities are the main funders of the System, yet the application of their own resources varies considerably even for municipalities of the same size and in the same region.