The Parliament of the Canary Islands has approved this Tuesday the Citizen's Income Law, which includes a guaranteed minimum income and a support system for effective social and labor insertion that allows the most vulnerable population to escape social exclusion and poverty.
The law has been approved by all parliamentary groups and involves, after a transition period, the replacement of the current Canary Insertion Benefit by the Citizen's Income, which can be received without time limit, which is not exclusive with other aid or with labor income and which will have exceptions and will be open for its proper application, according to parliamentary spokespersons.
The Minister of Social Rights, Noemí Santana, thanked the consensus reached in this law, which, she said, is a first step to guarantee a minimum income to the most vulnerable citizens.
Amendments from the Popular, Mixed and Nationalist groups
During the debate, the Popular, Mixed and Canarian Nationalist groups defended some amendments that had been rejected during the parliamentary process and in the case of the last two groups raised the limitation that may be that the family unit is taken into account for the approval of the aid without taking into account the particular situation of the applicant.
Cristina Valido, from the Nationalist group, said that there are essential issues that this law does not include, highlighted its similarity with the current PCI and recalled that in the Canary Islands there are more than 800,000 people at risk of exclusion.
She has warned that the reason why the Minimum Vital Income is rejected is repeated, which in the Canary Islands only receives 15 percent of those who request it compared to 23% nationally, and that it is due, among other factors, to the difficulty of accessing housing in the islands.
Poli Suárez, from the Popular group, has indicated that this is the most important law of this legislature because it aims to reach those families "who are having the worst time in our land" and has welcomed the fact that the parliamentary groups have been "mature and politically adult" to reach an agreement on the text that wants to combat poverty and promote social inclusion and integration into the world of work.
His group, said Suárez, has managed to introduce 60 percent of its amendments and today they have agreed with the government to guarantee municipalities the cost of a social worker and to incentivize companies to hire people benefiting from citizen income.
Vidina Espino, from the Mixed group, has defended the law because "it will improve the lives of many Canarians" but has maintained several amendments as she understands that "it falls short" in some aspects.
Among the issues questioned by the parliamentarian is that by taking into account the family unit, this law conceives aid as a collective and not individual right and has criticized that administrative silence is negative after four months since the petition was submitted when the legislation establishes its positive character.
David Godoy, from the Socialist group, has indicated that not only is a law approved, but a new right is granted to citizens to ensure that they have decent living conditions, while highlighting that the text has been agreed with councils and municipalities, which will have a very important role in its execution.
It is about ending poverty and social exclusion, said Godoy, who stressed that it is a useful tool for the protection of children and its compatibility with labor income "because there are poor workers."
María del Río, from Si Podemos Canarias, has indicated that thanks to this Government the most vulnerable people will have a guaranteed income and has added that it is a law "inclusive and for inclusion."
The parliamentarian recalled that this law will give way to "the younger sister" of the citizen's income, the PCI, which together with the Minimum Vital Income, has benefited in December in the Canary Islands more than 80,000 people and has insisted that the goal is to have a universal basic income.
Carmen Hernández, from Nueva Canarias, has indicated that it is an income "for life", a right widely recognized in international law and has highlighted the consensus reached to achieve a text that pursues a more just and cohesive society.
This law, she added, introduces elements of protection for vulnerable groups, generates incentives for employment and a stable income.
The deputy of the Gomera Socialist Group Jesús Ramos Chinea has stated that this law develops one of the rights included in the Statute of Autonomy and has valued that all administrations are included in its execution.
He also highlighted the supplements for young people or for non-contributory pensions and valued that the means are provided to move people away from the risk of vulnerability while asking that its application be agile.
