When the mechanisms of workfare enter the academic and political debate about the oft-announced reform of the social shock absorbers, they are often seen as a panacea that can solve the most serious defects of unfairness in the present system. The article that follows seeks to show how, the current legal position is already to a large extent in line with this aim, at least formally. Therefore, any reform clearly needs to fill the gap between the abstract provisions of the regulations and how they are actually applied, but also to intervene to strengthen the governance of the system.only subscribers can see the full article