This paper aims to analyze the link between neoliberal social policies and moral domination in the Italian context. The analysis focuses on the brief implementation of Reddito di Cittadinanza (Citizenship Income), Italy’s first national minimum income program. Specifically, the paper investigates how conditionalities and control mechanisms are constructed, implemented, modified, and reinforced based on moral assumptions that portray recipients as lazy and dishonest. Furthermore, the paper explores the interplay between domination, symbolic violence, and disrespect, aiming to examine not only how conditionalities function as mechanisms of poverty governance, but also the ethical issues that arise during their implementation.