"For those who still want to debase one of the most revolutionary ideas of this country, I remember that any criticism of citizenship income is not an attack on the M5S, but an offense to 3.7 million people who until yesterday were unable to to combine lunch with dinner, and that they finally no longer feel invisible ".
So Beppe Grillo, on his blog, defends citizenship income by citing INPS data.
"Let's try to" count "- writes the founder M5S in a long post - to the citizenship income, one of the most important social reforms in the history of our republic, with this precious information: INPS data on citizenship income updated monthly of August 2021 tell us that there are 1.36 million beneficiary households, for over 3 million people, with an average amount of 546 euros, in particular. with minors there are almost 443 thousand, with a number of people involved of over 1.64 million, while families with disabled people are almost 231 thousand, with over 536 thousand people involved.average amount paid nationally in August 2021 is 546 euros (576 euros for the RdC and 270 for the Citizenship Pension).
The average amount varies considerably with the number of family members, going from a minimum of 446 euros for single-members to a maximum of 699 euros for families with four members. The audience of citizenship income and citizenship pension recipients is made up of 2.58 million Italian citizens, 318 thousand non-EU citizens with EU residence permits for at least 10 years in Italy, and 119 thousand European citizens. The distribution by geographic area sees 592 thousand beneficiaries in the North and 427 thousand in the Center, while in the South and Islands it exceeds 2 million recipients. During 2020, at the height of the pandemic period, the beneficiaries of citizenship income reached 3.7 million people ".
"Along with the emergency income - says Grillo - almost 5 million poor people have been reached, as many as ISTAT certified, more or less in absolute poverty. Citizenship income also serves to supplement the income from work, for many, the so-called working poor, part time, single mothers with children, who do not reach a certain threshold. Approximately 20% of the beneficiaries of citizenship income receive an income supplement. In 2020, before the Pandemic, Istat certified a drastic reduction of poverty over 2019, thanks to the DRC. The Gini coefficient, or the index that measures inequality, has been reduced by almost one point. Caritas has also repeatedly recognized the great role played by the DRC in combating poverty. many the RoC is the only form of income.A liberation also from exploitation, from subjugation, from illegal work and from starvation wages. A "reserve wage" as economists say, which in the absence of a legal minimum wage, offers a buffer below which one does not sink into absolute poverty, and one is free to decide whether to accept a starving job or continue to search without starving ".
"During the Pandemic, together with the Emergency Income it was not only an instrument to combat poverty, but also a protection against despair, which allowed the necessary social cohesion, against the risks of civilization.
Most of these people , over 2/3, are not employable, but they are minors, disabled, elderly ".
"The checks - adds Grillo - are both ex ante and ex post. Ex ante the INPS refused 1 million applications. So about 40% thanks to cross-checks on income and assets. In addition, INPS has revoked 130 thousand applications." of RdC about, for various reasons including: false declarations of income, assets, residence, family, or failure to declare convicted for specific crimes, within the nucleus. Ex post, the Guardia di Finanza together with INPS and the other law enforcement agencies, have charged irregular recipients about 217 million euros, of which 127 million have already been recovered. This is about 1% of RdC service illegally spent to date. This is therefore one of the most controlled measures Unfortunately, scams exist on many benefits: false disability,earners of hoses with undeclared work, layoffs to companies that do not need them or that make beneficiaries work even in layoffs, etc., and often for a value of more than 1%. But these figures are not news. "
