Argentina beneficiaries appeal to Supreme Court over ‘Volver al Trabajo’ program termination

Beneficiaries of the ‘Volver al Trabajo’ social program in Argentina are seeking intervention from the Supreme Court to prevent the termination of the subsidy. The Ministry of Human Capital, led by Sandra Pettovello, has officially ended the program, which replaced the former ‘Potenciar Trabajo’ scheme. The government stated that the final disbursements were made for April 2024, and no further monthly payments will be processed.

The Ministry intends to replace direct income transfers with a system of educational vouchers designed for professional training and technical skills to encourage formal market insertion.

Legal challenges have arisen following a ruling by the Federal Court of Appeals of San Martín, which overturned a previous injunction that had suspended the program's cancellation. Plaintiffs argue that the elimination of the program, which affected over 900,000 people, violates constitutional rights to food security, social security, and the principle of non-regressivity in social protections. They are requesting that the Supreme Court define the situation to prevent irreparable harm to vulnerable populations.