Navigating Independence: Minimum Income Schemes and Youth Transitions in Southern European Welfare States

Abstract

This article examines the interplay between decommodification and defamilisation within minimum income schemes (MIS) in two Southern European countries: Spain and Italy. While decommodification highlights the degree to which individuals can sustain a socially acceptable standard of living independently of market participation, defamilisation emphasises the extent to which individuals can achieve autonomy and well‐being independently of support from their families. Both concepts are critical in understanding youth transitions to adulthood in societies where living with one's parents until one's thirties and delayed family formation are prevalent. In Southern Europe, where the average age of leaving the parental household is significantly higher than the European average, the family functions as a filter of conditionality, mediating access to social protection and reinforcing intergenerational dependencies. Our research investigates how the design and implementation of MIS shape the ability of young people to achieve financial independence and self‐sufficiency, particularly during critical life transitions. Young individuals in these contexts face heightened exposure to socioeconomic risks, delayed independence, and limited access to adequate social protection. Using a qualitative approach, we analyse 21 biographical interviews with young people across the two countries who are beneficiaries of the benefit, have applied for it, or have been refused it. This enables us to examine how MIS frameworks influence young people's independence, perpetuate intergenerational imbalances, and exacerbate age‐related vulnerabilities. Using defamilisation as a lens, we provide new insights into how social policy interacts with familial structures, shaping the trajectories and experiences of Southern European youth.