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The new Income Guarantee Income Act enters into force among the criticisms

  • The amendments agreed by the PNV, the PSE and Elkarrekin Podemos and IU in Income Guarantee Income, which theoretically seeks to remove the poor from this situation, have entered into force the new law. Various actors have denounced that it leaves out a lot of people, that it does not serve to get out of poverty and that it stigmatizes the poor.

29 March 2023 - 17:09

Both the model and the new law have been questioned by numerous social agents. Income Guarantee Income, launched by the Basque Government in 1989, has been criticized by social movements. On the one hand, because to the extent that a number of requirements have to be met, often a bureaucratic maze, this income excludes people: it leaves 30% of the population at risk of poverty uncovered. On the other hand, they guarantee that the benefit is insufficient and that they do not have enough money to lead a dignified life: although they perceive the benefit, 53% of the recipients are unable to leave the situation of poverty, according to Argilan ESK data.

84 CAV social organisations presented a People's Legislative Initiative in favour of a basic income without conditions, which does not exclude anyone from criteria, conditions and obligations, but on 5 May last year the proposal was suspended in the Basque Parliament with votes against the PNV, PSE, PP and VOX.

84 CAPV social entities presented a People's Legislative Initiative for a Basic Income without conditions, but last year the proposal was suspended in the Basque Parliament

Income changes for good

Last October, the income system that the Basque Government continues to create is A big month, the modifications agreed with the UI, which will collect the new law, were proud that the age to apply for the IGR is going to pass from 23 to 18 years, but the young person from 18 to 23 years has to demonstrate that he has been seeking work and that he is emancipated; in the case of being registered,

And the changes made for evil

The new law will create an inspection team composed of 25 workers of the profession, and the new law collects a “disproportionate amount” of the forms of control and registration of rental claimants, as warns Iñaki Uribarri Argilan, a member of ESK: “As for the control of fraud, it is worse than the law of 2018, very hard, what comes to us is a real massacre.” This is a precedent of what has been reported in recent months: even before the IGR starts charging, the Ertzaintza is exploring the homes of the people who have applied for the benefit. “In the name of prevention, they are entering the homes every day, it is barbaric and people fear that they are doing themselves aggressively, exploring closets, clothes and all corners, and if it does not allow them to enter, they deny it the benefit,” says Uribarri. “We consider the abuse and violation of rights of access to housing for the control of the people who perceive the RGI to be especially serious,” said LAB. Both have criticised the fact that poverty and the poor are stigmatising a benefit that is scarcely fraudulent.

The new law also includes the so-called Responsible Recognition: in the request of the RGI the document of Responsible Declaration will have to be completed, stating that all the requirements to access the benefit are met, “but there are so many requirements, that it is usual to make a mistake, and from now on this recognition and the breach of some of the conditions will be considered directly fraudulent”, explains Uribarri.

The Responsible Declaration document must be completed, stating that all the conditions for accessing the benefit are met, “but any errors are common and will henceforth be considered fraud”

The pensioners’ movement is also opposed to the new law, arguing that it harms female pensioners, pensioners and pensioners living with other people: "The new IGR makes it clear from the outset that the base is not an individual benefit for each. When establishing the requirement to set up a coexistence unit, it automatically links the applicant with his or her spouse or partner, so if both are pensioners, their income is linked to all effects."

And to all this we must add the criticisms that the model itself contains, as mentioned at the beginning, because, to the extent that requirements must be met, it excludes people and considers that the amount is not sufficient.

“What Jon Podemos has achieved is a very small thing, they have not achieved anything important and have had to swallow a lot. Eventually, the parties on the left will realize, I believe,” says Iñaki Uribarri, about the law that has entered into force on Wednesday.


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