One in 10 cannot heat their home. The numbers of poverty in Italy in the Caritas

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Published by Marta Strinati on November 17, 2023

Absolutely poor, over 2 million families

The absolute poor residents in Italy increased last year from 5 million 316 thousand to 5 million 673 thousand (+ 357 thousand units). The incidence went from 9,1% to 9,7%.

If you consider the nuclei, they are counted 2 million 187 thousand families in absolute poverty, compared to 2 million 22 thousand families in 2021 (+165 thousand households), concentrated above all in the South.

The emergency also reverberates on the nutrition. Over 12% of the Italian population is not able to ensure a complete meal from a nutritional point of view every day, nor to consume an adequate quantity of fruit and vegetables, nor to gather together with relatives and/or friends once a day. month, warns the ActionAid report. (2)

Foreigners have it worse

Inequalities among Italian citizens and foreign residents have worsened in the last twelve months.

Absolute poverty in fact, it remains below the average for Italian-only families (6,4%), while it stands at very high levels among households with only foreign members (33,2%), particularly if they have children under 36,1, 7,8% (compared to XNUMX% of Italian-only families).

Foreigners they represent 8,7% of the resident population, but constitute 30% of the absolute poor.

Working is not enough

Education continues to be among the factors that best protect against the risk of poverty (today more than in the past),

the work, however, is no longer a sufficient cause of well-being: 47% of households in absolute poverty have the head of the family employed.

Requests for help doubled

In 2022, in the listening and service centers of the diocesan Caritas, the people met and accompanied increased by 12% compared to 2021. Overall, the weight of foreigners among the beneficiaries stands at 59,6%.

The aid provided (only in the listening centers connected to the computerized network) were a total of 3,4 million, for an average of 13,5 services per patient/unit. The 2021 average was 6,5.

Energy poverty

The report analyzes for the first time the effect of 'energy poverty', i.e. the impossibility of guaranteeing a minimum level of energy consumption, such as that necessary for heating the house, washing and cooking.

In this condition accounts for 9,9% of the population. Already in 2022, of the over 86 thousand economic subsidies provided by the Caritas network in 2022, 45% were in support of 'energy needs'. The beneficiaries of economic subsidies useful for paying bills/taxes were mostly poor families and fragile parents (even single parents).

Poor workers

More insight is dedicated to the phenomenon of the 'working poor', i.e. those situations of poverty in which there is no lack of work, but the income is not sufficient to a dignified life.

The working poor are above all illegal workers, gray workers, forced part-time workers, with regular contracts but all with inadequate wages.

After the abolition of citizenship income

The Report also dedicates a reflection to the reform of Basic income and the transition to the new measures Training and employment support (SFL) e Inclusion check (Adi).

The abandonment of the principle of selective universalism and the introduction of new requirements leaves some specific types of poor uncovered (for example homeless people). There are also serious doubts about the real possibility of find employment within 12 months of economic coverage for training guaranteed by the SFL.

However, the situation is more favorable for those around 50 thousand groups of foreigners who will be able to access the measure for the first time and the fact that by adding the amounts of the ADI with those of the Single Universal Allowance for dependent children, the new approach supports large families more.

A defeat for everyone

'The presence of over 2,1 million poor families is one defeat not only for those directly involved, but also for the entire society, because in this way it finds itself having to deal with the loss of human, social and relational capital which produces serious and visible impacts also in terms of rights', says Don Marco Pagniello, director of Caritas Italiana.

'As Pope Francis asks us, in inviting us to celebrate the World Day of the Poor on 19 November, we are all called to "do not take your eyes off the poor”. We are therefore invited to start with the poor, to put them at the center of our communities, to do our part to try to reduce inequalities and give relief and new opportunities to those who turn to us, to defeat poverty together..

Marta Strinati