Valencia’s Participatory Income program is drawing attention for potential charges even when recipients are employed. Yesterday, Ignacio Grande, regional secretary for the Vice Presidency and Family and Social Services, announced that the Department of Social Services, Equality and Housing is developing a new model for the Valencian Participation Income (RVI). The aim is to promote it as a benefit aligned with business needs and to introduce an accompanying travel plan for beneficiaries.
The idea has previously been floated by former Equality Minister Monica Oltra, who suggested it as part of a commitments package. The proposal faced delays and was never implemented as a measure to assist workers earning below the Minimum Interprofessional Wage. The plan was initially slated for 2019, but the pandemic hampered progress.
Grande described the RVI as a living program that will continue to evolve, stating that different forms of poverty require flexible responses. The objective is to safeguard the rights of the most vulnerable through active public administration support.
“Income is a matter of rights and human dignity,” he stated during his speech at the opening of the Vital Access Project Regional Conference, hosted by the European Anti-Poverty Network and cited in the regional government’s communications.
During the event, Grande noted current figures showing 33,706 RVI holders and 67,074 beneficiaries in the Valencian Community, with a noteworthy 66.7 percent of property owners among the beneficiaries being women.
The Promise of Botany
At the EAPN gathering, Grande emphasized that the fight against poverty must integrate political, economic, and social measures that respond to global policy shifts. He highlighted the importance of translating solidarity and justice into practical outcomes, including improvements to travel programs and reforms to simplify and streamline RVI management and administration.
The regional secretary spoke at the opening of the Regional Vital Access Project Conference hosted by the European Anti-Poverty Network, a coalition of NGOs and other groups across EU member states engaged in reducing poverty and social exclusion. Pedro Carceller, director general of Participation and Development Cooperation, also attended the conference.
The remarks concluded with a clear commitment: administrations have an obligation to build fair and accessible societies where the dignity of every person and the protection of their rights are central pillars.
Regional Days
Throughout the day, experts from academia, social services, and the third sector joined discussions on the Minimum Subsistence Income and related initiatives, including both the IMV and uptake challenges. Public officials, alongside project participants, shared experiences about accessing these benefits.
Additionally, results from studies conducted by 19 teams, comprising more than 70 researchers, were presented. These studies mapped areas at risk of poverty and social exclusion from November 2022 through October of the current year.
The goal is to develop an outreach approach capable of reaching individuals who lack information or face socio-demographic barriers, a gap that has contributed to the Non Take-Up phenomenon where eligible people do not apply for IMV.