Abstract

The article analyses the Italian system of anti-poverty policies in the light of the pandemic crisis, starting from the assumption that the set of interventions aimed at responding to the socio-economic emergency determined by the pandemic has been conceived within a scenario that could not yet be considered consolidated. The article proposes and explores three analytical dimensions, namely ordinary vs. extraordinary responses, income support vs. socio-occupational inclusion and national vs. local policies, which can help understanding the complex path towards institutionalization of national income support schemes. The introduction of emergency policies alongside the Citizenship Income (Reddito di Cittadinanza) highlights the well-known, though still unresolved, issue of the discontinuity and fragmentation, categorical and territorial, of the policies to combat poverty in Italy.