Some 159,000 families in Italy were told by text message that their RdC was being cut last week, sparking concern about what will happen to the people losing their welfare cheques.
Democratic Party (PD) leader Elly Schlein on Monday accused the government of waging “war on the poor” with its actions.
“This government is using every hour of its time, via work incentives and support for our most fragile fellow citizens, to combat and reduce the social unrest that some are blowing on in an attempt to build discontent,” Calderone told a question time session in parliament.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni says the RdC failed because it took away jobless people’s incentive to seek work and was too susceptible to fraud.
Two new benefits are coming in, but there is confusion about the application procedures and when payments will arrive.
Calderone said that 112,000 of the 159,000 people who got the text messages could engage in training pacts to be eligible for another payment, with 35 per cent of them already engaged in programmes that would enable them to have it from the start of September.
Ex-prime minister Giuseppe Conte, the leader of the 5-Star Movement (M5S), said there was “anger and social confusion” over the abolition of the RdC.
“You are leaving social workers and councils on their own and you are the only ones responsible,” said Conte.
“You are consciously splitting the country in two.
“You misled these people about replacing the RdC with training courses, you insulted them by calling them layabouts, but after eight months you haven’t done anything about this.
“We have found out that you are the ones who don’t want to work.
“You are the layabouts.”
The RdC was the flagship measure of the M5S and it was brought in during the first of Conte’s two governments in 2019.
ANSA
