A segmented expansión of child benefits: The case of Argentine's mixed system

ARZA, CAMILA

Ginebra

Conferencia; International Conference on Universal Child Grants; 2019

UNICEF, International Labour Organization (ILO) y Overseas Development Institute (ODI), International Labour Organization

Argentina stands out as one of the Latin American countries with the most extensive child benefit program: contributory and non-contributory benefits are paid monthly for each child, regularly indexed, and jointly cover about three quarters of all children and adolescents in the country. Contributory family allowances have for a long time been part of the social security system, but only formal workers were eligible. The expansion of coverage was possible thanks to the creation of the Universal Child Allowance in 2009, a non-contributory cash benefit for informal and unemployed workers. This program was path-breaking and contributed to shape a broad and segmented system that incorporates most children based on the working conditions of their parents. This article analyses the current structure of the mixed child benefit system in Argentina, and discusses the implications of expanding coverage by creating new benefit layers, and the potential gains and opportunities of shifting to a universal child benefit that includes all families under the same system.