En este trabajo se discute la dificultad extrema como requisito de elegibilidad económica para la ayuda social prevista en el artículo 20, párrafo 3, de la Ley 8.742/1993. El análisis se basa en criterios que van más allá de la medición del ingreso familiar per cápita mensual y adopta un enfoque deductivo para escudriñar la literatura, la legislación y la jurisprudencia sobre el tema. El documento traza el desarrollo de los casos relevantes y brinda información sobre los precedentes establecidos por la Corte Suprema Federal. También se tienen en cuenta los problemas que plantea la naturaleza subsidiaria del beneficio. Con todo, como el ingreso familiar mensual per cápita no es un indicador preciso de las dificultades extremas, debería adoptarse la prueba de medios.This paper discusses extreme hardship as an economic eligibility requirement to the welfare aid set forth in Article 20, paragraph 3, of Law 8.742/1993. The analysis is based on criteria that go beyond the measurement of monthly per capita household income and adopts a deductive approach to scrutinize the literature, legislation, and case law on the subject. The paper maps out the development of the relevant cases and provides insight into the precedents laid down by the Federal Supreme Court. The problems posed by the subsidiary nature of the benefit are also considered. All in all, monthly per capita household income not being an accurate indicator of extreme hardship, the means test should be adopted.This paper discusses extreme hardship as an economic eligibility requirement to the welfare aid set forth in Article 20, paragraph 3, of Law nº 8.742/1993. The analysis is based on criteria that go beyond the measurement of monthly per capita household income and adopts a deductive approach to scrutinize the literature, legislation and case law on the subject. The paper maps out the development of the relevant cases and provides insight into the precedents laid down by the Federal Supreme Court. The problems posed by the subsidiary nature of the benefit are also taken into account. All in all, monthly per capita household income not being an accurate indicator of extreme hardship, the means test should be adopted.