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Targeting welfare in Italy: old problems and perspectives on reform

Author

Listed:
  • Massimo Baldini
  • Stefano Toso
  • Paolo Bosi

Abstract

This paper has two principal objectives. Using a tax-benefit microsimulation model and the 1998 micro data of the Bank of Italy survey of household income and wealth, we first study the distributional effects of the current Italian income maintenance system and highlight its main defects and limitations, concerning in particular its unequal coverage of the population and its low efficiency in fighting poverty. The second aim is to describe and analyse the reforms recently implemented in this field; in particular, the Italian government has reformed the targeting criteria and introduced three new cash transfers. We describe these reforms both in their institutional characteristics and in their likely distributional consequences, and examine whether and to what extent they are able to overcome the shortcomings of the current system.

Suggested Citation

  • Massimo Baldini & Stefano Toso & Paolo Bosi, 2002. "Targeting welfare in Italy: old problems and perspectives on reform," Fiscal Studies, Institute for Fiscal Studies, vol. 23(1), pages 51-75, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:ifs:fistud:v:23:y:2002:i:1:p:51-75
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Flaviana Palmisano & Dirk Van de gaer, 2016. "History-dependent growth incidence: a characterization and an application to the economic crisis in Italy," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 68(2), pages 585-603.
    2. Massimo Baldini & Luca Beltrametti, 2006. "Alternative Approaches to Long-term Care Financing. Distributive Implications and Sustainability for Italy," Swiss Journal of Economics and Statistics (SJES), Swiss Society of Economics and Statistics (SSES), vol. 142(V), pages 117-121.
    3. Francesco Devicienti & Valentina Gualtieri & Mariacristina Rossi, 2014. "The Persistence Of Income Poverty And Lifestyle Deprivation: Evidence From Italy," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 66(3), pages 246-278, July.
    4. Colombino Ugo & Narazani Edlira, 2013. "Designing a Universal Income Support Mechanism for Italy: An Exploratory Tour," Basic Income Studies, De Gruyter, vol. 8(1), pages 1-17, July.
    5. Colombino, Ugo & Narazani, Edlira, 2014. "Closing the Gender Gap: Gender Based Taxation, Wage Subsidies or Basic Income?," Department of Economics and Statistics Cognetti de Martiis. Working Papers 201412, University of Turin.
    6. Michele Pellizzari, 2013. "The use of welfare by migrants in Italy," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 34(2), pages 155-166, May.
    7. Mike Brewer & Tom Clark, 2002. "The impact on incentives of five years of social security reform in the UK," IFS Working Papers W02/14, Institute for Fiscal Studies.
    8. Xisco Oliver & Amedeo Spadaro, 2017. "Active Welfare State Policies and Labour Supply in Spain," Hacienda Pública Española / Review of Public Economics, IEF, vol. 222(3), pages 9-41, September.
    9. Martina Menon & Federico Perali & Eva Sierminska, 2017. "An Efficiency Comparison of Means Testing Tools: Money Metric or Counting Approach?," CHILD Working Papers Series 57 JEL Classification: D1, Centre for Household, Income, Labour and Demographic Economics (CHILD) - CCA.
    10. O'Donoghue, Cathal & Matsaganis, Manos & Bargain, Olivier & Levy, Horacio & Mantovani, D. & Tsakloglou, P. & Mercader-Prats, M. & Baldini, Massimo & Albuquerque, J. & Bosi, P. & Farinha, C. & Rodrigue, 2002. "The impact of means tested assistance in Southern Europe," EUROMOD Working Papers EM6/01, EUROMOD at the Institute for Social and Economic Research.
    11. Colombino Ugo & Narazani Edlira, 2012. "What’s Best for Women: Gender Based Taxation, Wage Subsidies or Basic Income?"," Department of Economics and Statistics Cognetti de Martiis. Working Papers 201212, University of Turin.
    12. Ugo Colombine, 2013. "A new equilibrium simulation procedure with discrete choice models," International Journal of Microsimulation, International Microsimulation Association, vol. 6(3), pages 25-49.
    13. Angelo Spano & Ugo Trivellato & Nadir Zanini, 2013. "Le esperienze italiane di misure di contrasto alla povert?: che cosa possiamo imparare?," ECONOMIA E SOCIET? REGIONALE, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 0(2), pages 141-180.
    14. MENON Martina & PERALI Federico & SIERMINSKA Eva, 2016. "An Asset-based Indicator of Wellbeing for a Unified Means Testing Tool: Money Metric or Counting Approach?," LISER Working Paper Series 2016-09, Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER).
    15. Ranđelović Saša & Žarković Rakić Jelena & Vladisavljević Marko & Vujić Sunčica, 2019. "Labour Supply and Inequality Effects of In-Work Benefits: Evidence from Serbia," Naše gospodarstvo/Our economy, Sciendo, vol. 65(3), pages 1-22, September.
    16. Francesco Devicienti & Valentina Gualtieri, 2007. "The Dynamics and Persistence of Poverty: Evidence from Italy," LABORatorio R. Revelli Working Papers Series 63, LABORatorio R. Revelli, Centre for Employment Studies.
    17. repec:kap:iaecre:v:12:y:2006:i:2:p:213-227 is not listed on IDEAS
    18. Figari, Francesco, 2011. "From housewives to independent earners: can the tax system help Italian women to work?," ISER Working Paper Series 2011-15, Institute for Social and Economic Research.
    19. Emanuele Ciani & Roberto Torrini, 2019. "The Geography of Italian Income Inequality: Recent Trends and the Role of Employment," Politica economica, Società editrice il Mulino, issue 2, pages 173-208.
    20. Tonutti, Giovanni & Bertarelli, Gaia & Giusti, Caterina & Pratesi, Monica, 2022. "Disaggregation of poverty indicators by small area methods for assessing the targeting of the “Reddito di Cittadinanza” national policy in Italy," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 82(PB).
    21. Ugo Colombino, 2015. "Five Crossroads on the Way to Basic Income. An Italian Tour," Italian Economic Journal: A Continuation of Rivista Italiana degli Economisti and Giornale degli Economisti, Springer;Società Italiana degli Economisti (Italian Economic Association), vol. 1(3), pages 353-389, November.
    22. Colombino Ugo, 2012. "Equilibrium simulation with microeconometric models. A new procedure with an application to income support policies," Department of Economics and Statistics Cognetti de Martiis. Working Papers 201209, University of Turin.
    23. Colombino, Ugo & Narazani, Edlira, 2013. "What’s best for women: gender based taxation, wage subsidies or basic income?," EUROMOD Working Papers EM10/13, EUROMOD at the Institute for Social and Economic Research.
    24. Cristina Berliri & Valentino Parisi, 2006. "The Distributive and Labor Supply Impact of the Minimum Insertion Income: The Case of Italy," International Advances in Economic Research, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 12(2), pages 213-227, May.
    25. Narazani, Edlira & Shima, Isilda, 2008. "Labour supply modelling in Italy when Minimum Income Scheme is an option," EUROMOD Working Papers EM6/08, EUROMOD at the Institute for Social and Economic Research.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution
    • H24 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Personal Income and Other Nonbusiness Taxes and Subsidies
    • I32 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Measurement and Analysis of Poverty

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