The Central Bank will inform widows and orphans about withdrawing forgotten funds.

By Wellton Máximo – Reporter for Agência Brasil - Available since Sunday evening (13), checking forgotten amounts in banks and other financial institutions can be easily done by account holders. Just enter your CPF or CNPJ and date of birth to find out if there are any residual balances to be withdrawn.

However, what happens if the account holder has died? Will the widows and heirs be entitled to recover the funds?

The Central Bank (BC), responsible for the website that provides information on amounts to be received, has announced that it will release, in the coming days, the procedures to be followed by legally authorized third parties who wish to request the withdrawal of funds. This guidance will apply to heirs, attorneys, guardians, curators, executors, and those responsible for unemancipated minors.

According to a test conducted by Agência Brasil, the first step of the consultation, in which the system informs whether there are any amounts to be received, can be done by entering the deceased's CPF (Brazilian taxpayer ID number).

The second step, in which the available amount is revealed and a withdrawal can be requested, cannot be executed. This is because this step would require a silver or gold login on the Gov.br Portal, in the name of the account holder.

The steps on the Central Bank's website are only the first part of the challenge. Withdrawals from deceased individuals' accounts can only be made by the executor of the estate and with authorization from the court.

If the orphan or widow/widower does not have a completed probate process, it is possible to initiate the process directly at the registry office, without needing to go to court. In theory, there is a second, more complicated step that may require court authorization.

The son, brother, or widower who wants access to the money will need to request a court order to obtain the birth, death, and marriage certificates of the deceased relative.

The documents must be up-to-date with the date of the withdrawal request. A request for a new issuance can only be made through a lawyer or public defender, based on articles 666 and 725 of the Code of Civil Procedure.

Updated certificates are necessary to verify the marriage regime, whether the widower was married under a partial or total community property regime. Just as in the traditional division of assets, the money would be distributed according to the deceased's will. In the absence of a will, each heir would receive their share, with the widower potentially receiving half the value, depending on the marriage regime.

The Central Bank can adopt simplified procedures to recover the money. This possibility, however, needs to be in line with the legislation, which requires time for the monetary authority to analyze the options before making a decision.

Partial balance sheet

According to the Central Bank, by 12:00 today (14), around 20 million individuals and companies had consulted the new platform. Unlike the previous system, which was in the Registrato environment (a website that informs the relationship between account holders and financial institutions), the new website will require the creation of a silver or gold level account on the Gov.br Portal to authorize withdrawals, in case there are forgotten amounts.

Calendar

The consultation can be done by any citizen or company at any time. However, if the system indicates resources to be received, users have been divided into three groups, based on their date of birth or the company's founding date.

Those born before 1968 or who opened their company before that year will be able to check their remaining balance and request a withdrawal between March 7th and 11th on the same website. The page itself will inform the time and date to request the withdrawal. If the user misses the deadline, there will be a second chance on the following Saturday, March 12th, from 4 am to midnight.

For individuals born between 1968 and 1983, or companies founded during that period, the deadline will be from March 14th to 18th, with a second chance on March 19th.

For those born in 1984 or later, or who opened a business in that year, the dates are from March 21st to 25th, with a catch-up session on March 26th. Catch-up sessions will also take place on Saturdays during the same hours, from 4 AM to midnight.

Those who miss the Saturday rematch will be able to request a refund starting March 28th, regardless of their date of birth or company creation date.

The Central Bank clarifies that citizens or companies that miss the deadlines do not need to worry. The right to receive the funds is permanent and will remain held by the financial institutions until the account holder requests a withdrawal.