Social welfare in Argentina: salient features of the 2017’s neoliberal reconfiguration

Abstract

In Argentina, welfare policy represents a key component within contemporary social debate since it entails direct repercussions on the wellbeing of millions of elderly people. Thus, the design and implementation of each reform has effects of varying intensity for this group. Based on an interpretative analysis of the normative framework as well as documents, reports and special studies produced by official organizations specialized in the field, the present article reconstructs and analyses the strategy adopted in this field of social policy, investigating the main features it presents. In particular, this paper examines the changes undergone in the retirement system and pensions by the end of 2017, in the context of the sanction of the law Nº 27426 which introduces a change of the mobility formula of the welfare income. The analysis is carried out by drawing a distinction between vertical and horizontal coverage since they represent two main dimensions of the performance of the Argentine welfare system which provides protection to the elderly.