ABSTRACT
Extreme poverty levels were seen in Argentina after the severe crisis unleashed at the end of 2001. This was worsened by a deep production standstill, which made the national, provincial, and municipal governments face the need to generate programs for a comprehensive support of families, specially in relation to all essential aspects, which would enable the eradication of the high levels of indigence, and favor social inclusion so as to mitigate, at least partly, the extreme household income inequality in an increasing polarized society. The ‘Jefes y Jefas de Hogar’ Program (PJJH) is a social assistance program, focused on the unemployed heads of households with dependents under the age of 18 or with disabled individuals of any age, that the national government started out as of May 2002.1 In order to achieve the social objectives stated above, a cash transfer of US$45 ($150) (one-hundred and fifty Argentine pesos) per month is given to each beneficiary, which would correspond to the cost of the basic basket for adult equivalents at the end of 2001, a sum which by October 2002 was no longer up to date.2 In consideration of this assistance, the program establishes that the plan recipients must be engaged in one of the following activities: enter into a training program (not clearly established), perform work for the community for up to 20 hours per week (which would be defined and verified locally through political mechanisms) or transform the assistance into an employment subsidy for the company hiring that person.
