Tolosa Paz: 150,000 could lose Potenciar Trabajo benefits
Social Development Minister Victoria Tolosa Paz announces that as many as 150,000 people could lose benefits they enjoy via the Potenciar Trabajo scheme after failing to validate identity. Social Development Minister Victoria Tolosa Paz has announced that more than 150,000 people who receive funds via the Potenciar Trabajo scheme would have their benefits cut after not validating their identity.
Tolosa Paz, speaking on Monday, 24 hours after the deadline to authenticate information passed, said that those who had not complied with the requirement would be given a 60-day window in which to make their claim via the Miargentina platform. However, they will receive 50 percent of the benefit starting next month.
Failure to resolve the situation within the next two months would lead to their removal from the programme entirely, she added.
The minister said that overall 89 percent of beneficiaries had validated their identity in the mass audit of the scheme and would receive their payment as usual. The remaining 11 percent, which Tolosa Paz said represented 154,441 individuals, would receive half due to noncompliance next month.
Social benefits and welfare plans have long been a topic of debate in Argentina, both within the Economy Ministry and the portfolio led by Tolosa Paz.
Under the Potenciar Trabajo programme, which has more than 1.2 million beneficiaries, the state pays half a minimum wage in exchange for work in cooperatives or local municipalities.
Critics say that there are thousands of irregular payments while the leaders of social organisations and movements have fiercely resisted attempts to trim benefits. The Unidad Piquetera movement says many of those who failed to validate their claims do not have a device or the connectivity to do so.
Argentina’s government also needs to cut social spending this year if it is to comply with the fiscal deficit targets outlined in the nation’s Us$44.5-billion extended fund facility programme with the International Monetary Fund.
The news was met by a strong reaction from social organisations and picket leaders, who condemned the government’s “austerity” measures.
“It confirms our denunciations of adjustments on social spending and the most vulnerable,” said Polo Obrero Eduardo Belliboni.
Mónica Sulle, coordinator of the Mstteresa Vive, pointed out that “they say that the audit was for order and transparency, but with the workers and the poorest it is not the same transparency that they have with the evaders.”
Government allies and members of the La Campora Kirchnerite youth organisation also voiced unrest, with Andrés Larroque blaming the move on the terms of Argentina’s multi-billion debt deal with the International Monetary Fund.
“This is the economic policy at the national level and this is also transferred to social policy, unfortunately. I have been very critical of this,” added the Campora leader.
Picket leaders said they would demonstrate next week against the change, but at press time had yet to define a date or time.