Caritas has highlighted a concerning issue based on recent data from the Ministry of Labour: two-thirds of the poor have been excluded from the Citizenship Income program.
According to Caritas, while the Citizenship Income was intended to support those in poverty, the reality is starkly different. The National Institute of Statistics (Istat) found that only just over 30% of impoverished families received Citizenship Income between 2020 and 2022. This means that despite significant expenditure and the broad reach of the program, two-thirds of people living in absolute poverty did not benefit from this aid.
Caritas had previously conducted simulations predicting that 44% of impoverished families would receive the Citizenship Income, leaving over 50% without assistance. However, the actual data reveals an even worse situation than anticipated.
Government to replace Citizenship Wage
Those living in “absolute poverty” – who were unable to buy essential goods and services – rose to 5.75 million, or 9.8% percent of the population, national statistics bureau ISTAT reported in March. That’s up marginally from 9.7% in 2022 and the highest since the current data series began in 2014.
The Need for Effective Measures
Don Marco Pagniello, director of Caritas Italiana, emphasised that effective poverty alleviation measures must start with those who are worst off. He stated, “The release of the Committee’s monitoring report confirms that to design effective measures to combat poverty, it is necessary to start from those who are worse off. Caritas’ method is to stay close to the poorest and accompany them; welfare alone is not enough.”
Pagniello also stressed the importance of localised interventions, such as training and retraining programs, to ensure the effectiveness of aid. He pointed out that Italy is a country where poverty is often inherited, making it crucial to have continuity and attentive listening from politicians to those monitoring social issues.
Future Actions
Caritas underscores the importance of not squandering the insights gained from the Committee’s report. “Starting from scratch every time with contrast measures, however, is a mistake,” said Panhiello. We therefore need continuity and listening by politicians to those who monitor social phenomena on a daily basis. Now it will be important to take into account the Committee’s report so as not to squander what has been acquired. And we will continue with our monitoring.”
