The new Italian government, led by far-right party FdI's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, stated that they intend to completely abolish citizens’ income in 2024. Citizens’ income is a regular welfare payment from the state to citizens or permanent residents who belong to certain groups - including the unemployed, the disabled, pensioners, etc.
Significant changes to unemployment and disability benefits will come into effect in January 2023. In this year-long 'transition' period, citizens and permanent residents of Italy who are considered "able-bodied" by the Italian government will receive unemployment benefits for a maximum of eight months. Moreover, these people will have to complete some form of professional training or retraining for at least six months. Otherwise, they will lose further payments from the state. If an unemployed person turns down the first job offer deemed appropriate, they will also lose their right to claim benefits.
Currently, on average, unemployment benefits for one person are 500 euros per month. According to the Italian Institute of Social Security (INPS), in September 2022, 2.4 million citizens and permanent residents of Italy received a citizens’ income.
Unlike the Unemployment Benefit, Disability Benefit will be paid as usual through 2023. However, by 2024, they will be cancelled. A new system of subsidies will be introduced instead of a citizens’ income for all disabled people. This system, apparently, will provide state assistance only to poor people. The exact criteria used to determine who will be included in this category are not public knowledge yet.
Cutting these benefits is expected to save the Italian government more than €700 million in 2023. The "savings" from the complete elimination of citizens’ income in 2024 will amount to billions of euros.
The abolition of a citizens’ income for the unemployed and disabled in Italy clearly demonstrates that bourgeois states represent interests fundamentally opposed to the interests of ordinary workers. Not only in Italy but in all capitalist countries, the ruling elite is permanently searching for new ways to explicitly or implicitly "optimize" their help to those in need - in reality, to increase their profits. While much spectacle is made of the repressive and militaristic aspects of fascization, the immiseration of workers carries out the most important task to feed the capitalists who are at the true center of reactionary reform.
For this reason, the working class cannot count on the mercy and compassion of the bourgeoisie to ensure its basic needs. Realizing its class interests, the working class must make every effort to establish socialism. Only under socialism everyone, where the right to work is recognized, will people be able to work in accordance with their abilities, and all will receive the basic necessities for life.