the government of Giorgia Meloni restricts social aid on the occasion of May 1

Far-right leader Giorgia Meloni chose May Day to cut back on social benefits granted to the poorest Italians. The transalpine government abolished the “citizenship income” on Monday May 1 to replace it from January 1 next by an “inclusion check” with a more limited scope, at a cost of 5.4 billion euros per year. “We are reforming the citizenship income to differentiate between those who are able to work and those who are not”justified Giorgia Meloni, in power since October.

While the “citizenship income” was intended for anyone with very low incomes, including young people, the “inclusion check” will be reserved for families made up of people with disabilities, minors or over 60 years old. . It will be capped at 500 euros per month, to which will be added 280 euros for households that do not own their accommodation. Lasting 18 months, it can be renewed for one year after a one-month absence.

The government is also introducing an “instrument for access to professional activity”: for people fit for employment, participation in training or “projects useful to the community” becomes compulsory, in return for compensation of 350 euros per months maximum during one year. The cost for the State is estimated at 2.1 billion euros in 2024.

“Lifetime insecurity”

According to the Italian Institute of Statistics (Istat), the “citizenship income” introduced in 2019 by the Five Star government has lifted one million people out of poverty. However, half of those belonging to the most modest categories do not perceive it.

Opposition and trade unions sharply criticized the government for having convened a Council of Ministers on these subjects precisely on May 1st. “A serious government does not meet on May 1 to condemn young people to lifelong precariousness, annihilating their dream of having a home and children. It meets to introduce a legal minimum wage”reacted the former Prime Minister (Five Stars) Giuseppe Conte.