Item by item: how much social spending fell in the first quarter

The first quarter of 2024 ended with a strong reduction in expenses total of the National Public Administration, which has accumulated n 30.7% drop in real terms. According to the Congressional Budget Office (CPO), primary expenditures saw an even more pronounced decrease of 35.7% year-over-year, while interest on debt showed an increase of 7.3% in real terms.

Due to their weight on total spending, the most affected were pensions and social payments.

• Pensions and pensions: As a result of the decoupling between the mobility formula and inflation, partially compensated by the application of bonuses granted to pensioners and pensioners with lower incomes, the expenditure made by ANSES amounted to 4,719,229 million dollars, a real drop of 33%.

• Advantages of retired Armed Forces personnel and of Safety: With spending of $595,340 million, the decline in real terms was 15.5%.

• Improve your work: 338,035 million dollars (-49.9% real), explained by the loss of purchasing power for benefits and minor beneficiaries.

• Progresar Scholarships: 81,805 million dollars (-45.7% real).

• Medical assistance for beneficiaries of non-contributory pensions: 62,491 million dollars (-48.6% real).

• Accompanying program: 12,457 million dollars (-79.4% real).

• Food policies: 397,145 million dollars (-8.1% real). The Food Benefit stands out (396,790 million dollars (-3.8% real)): although the value of food cards doubled in January, the value of the benefits shows a loss in average purchasing power of approximately 3.8% real in the first quarter.

• PNC (Non-contributory pensions): $618,249 million (-24.8% real) following the update of the value of benefits (mobility) below inflation, partially offset by the granting of bonuses. It should be noted that all PNC holders receive retirement bonuses while in the retirement and pension category only the lowest salaries receive it.

• Active and passive family allowances: 521,473 million dollars (-14.2% real), due to the difference between the update of the value of the assignments (mobility) and inflation, partially offset by the increase in the amount of liquidated assignments, as well as by the strengthening of the value of the regulated assignments annual school aid established in March.

• Universal Assignments: 668,794 million dollars (+15.5% real), mainly due to the 100% increase in the value of benefits in January 2024 (Decree 117/23), in addition to the increase due to mobility in the months of December and March.

• Transfers from the Ministry of Health for operating expenses of SAMIC hospitals: $152,748 million (78.7% real).

• PAMI: $143,185 million, a reduction of 39.2%.

• Service charges for Conicet research grants: 22,626 million dollars (-9.1% real).

• Buying food for community kitchens AND picnic areas within the Food Policy programme, 17,340 million dollars (-53.6% real).