Julio Mendigure: “Pensión 65 is ready to receive 61,000 members of ONP and AFP”

Pensión 65 will become the first program of the Ministry of Development and Social Inclusion (Midis) that will close its coverage gap. Its executive director, Julio Mendigure, is confident that the 819,000 beneficiaries they will reach in 2024 will allow them to increase the amount of their subsidies. This Sunday alone they added 184,000.

On the one hand, social programs struggle to close the gaps and, on the other, there are more poor people every year. Has the State not failed?

In a context of recession, where we have gone back almost ten years in poverty levels, at least monetary, it is time for social programs. These have been created, in the world at large, as temporary relief programs, while we recover the conditions for growth. For this reason, at Midis we have been working hard to serve the city’s populations.

Aren’t you worried about the increase in poverty in 2023?

Definitely. That is why Midis has started by increasing coverage in all programs, Cuna Más, Juntos, Contigo, and in the case of Pensión 65, The sign of our concern in the fight against poverty is the closing of gaps. That is why it is a historical milestone, because it is the first segment of the population that would be served 100%.

It is also evident that last year more Peruvians fell into extreme poverty, among them older adults.

Yes, and in fact the only way to know is by updating our social records. For this purpose, this year Midis is allocating resources to 228 municipalities (nationally) so that registrations can be reactivated, so that home visits can be made. And in these homes you can identify not only older adults, but also children, women, adults in general who are in conditions of extreme poverty.

As part of its reform, MEF has proposed that 61,000 ONP and AFP members without any type of contribution go to Pensión 65. Are you prepared?

Midis is prepared to serve this volume of older adults and pensioners who have not achieved sufficient savings to allow them to access a subsidy or an attractive pension. In that sense, Pension 65 yes it is prepared. We would assume it with absolute tranquility, with serenity. That is why there are initiatives to serve a larger population, not just limit ourselves to extreme poverty.

In favor then?

Yes. That encourages us, because it means that we have earned the affection, respect, and admiration of society, of many institutions, and they trust that Pensión 65 can lead this axis of non-contributory pensions.

But in Congress they now want the program to reach extreme poverty levels.

Well, this is also another very interesting discussion, because in Peru 67% of older adults, that is, those who are over 60 years old, do not receive any type of pension, so they are literally condemned to survive no matter what. So, in terms of social protection policy, The State is obliged to take care of them. and having closed the coverage gap for older adults in extreme poverty, Midis, for example, is competent to serve older adults in poverty.

So, we also have some level of consensus there.

It is another discussion that must be worked on at the level of the Executivework with he Congress to perfectly incorporate 65 older adults into Pensión, perhaps in groups, perhaps first those who are over 100 years old, then nonagenarians, octogenarians, septuagenarians, until reaching those over 60. And we hope that it will not be too far away. Because in a just society, no older adult should be outside of social protection.

But Pensión 65 has returned this year from S/300 to S/250 bimonthly. How much would an ideal pension be for you?

Ideally, it would have to cover the amount of the food basket because our older adults need to cover their food, shelter or expenses related to their self-care, their local mobility, etc. However, we also have to think about all the dimensions, the capacity of the box. Of course, but in order to serve them, and we consider that it must be a progressive proposal, which increases gradually. And that formula, that methodology. It must be found in consensus, working with other sectors.

Won’t it go back to S/300?

Yes, this year we have prioritized closing the gap and our next goal for the remainder of the year and the next is to increase the subsidy amount. It is on the agenda at the ministry level and we must work within the Government with other ministries to reach an agreement.

Finally, is it really a good thing that there are more people in programs every year? Shouldn’t these actually gradually disappear?

I agree with you that in an ideal world, the success of Midis would be that in a few years it no longer exists, that it no longer has anyone to serve. Meanwhile, as long as we have underlying structural problems, the State has the obligation to protect and care for these people.