Abstract

Few social benefits in Italy have been the subject of such bitter clashes, including ideological ones, as the Reddito di Cittadinanza (RdC). On the one hand is the rhetoric of a panacea for the ills of Italian welfare and the abolition of poverty; on the other is the rhetoric of a measure that incentivizes idleness, easy prey for fraudsters, if not criminal organisations. In line with the promises made during the electoral campaign, the Meloni government has introduced a reform that overcomes the RdC, replacing it entirely with new measures to combat poverty and promote work integration: Inclusion Allowance (Assegno di Inclusione) and Training and Work Support (Supporto per la Formazione e il Lavoro). Does the reform overcome the limitations and correct the errors in the design and implementation of the RdC? This is the question this article aims to answer, building on an analysis of the RdC’s main achievements and limitations. This allows to assess the Meloni reform, evaluating it against the benchmark of how a well-functioning anti-poverty scheme should work.