Social Allowance
Assegno sociale
Coverage
- Italian and EU citizens residing in Italy for at least 10 consecutive years who have reached the standard statutory retirement age and have insufficient means to cover their subsistence needs.
- Non-EU citizens must be holders of a long-term residence permit.
Financing
- Entirely tax-financed out of the general budget.
Administration
- Managed by the National Institute for Social Security (INPS).
- Supervised by Ministry of Labour and Social Policies.
Qualifying Conditions
- Based on standard retirement age of the statutory pension schemes (age 67).
- Qualified residence clause: Habitual residence in Italy in a stable and continuous way for 10 years (qualified residence permit in case of non-EU nationals).
- No personal income or financial means lower than the social allowance.
- Income-tested (all taxable and most non-taxable income, but only 1/3 of pension based on notional defined contribution (NDC) calculation scheme is considered): annual personal income below EUR 5,978 for a single person; below EUR 11,956 for a couple; ceilings are adjusted annually.
Benefits
- Flat-rate benefit: monthly amount of up to EUR 460 (paid in 13 instalments).
- In case of personal income, a partial benefit is paid up to the level of the social allowance.
- Benefit is adjusted annually to changes in the cost-of-living-index.
- Benefit is suspended if the beneficiary leaves Italy for a period exceeding 30 days.
- Benefit is reduced (by 50% or 25%) in case of in-patient care or public residential care on public expenses (where expenses are borne by the state).
Coverage
Financing
Administration
Qualifying Conditions
Benefits
- Italian and EU citizens residing in Italy for at least 10 consecutive years who have reached the standard statutory retirement age and have insufficient means to cover their subsistence needs.
- Non-EU citizens must be holders of a long-term residence permit.
- Entirely tax-financed out of the general budget.
- Managed by the National Institute for Social Security (INPS).
- Supervised by Ministry of Labour and Social Policies.
- Based on standard retirement age of the statutory pension schemes (age 67).
- Qualified residence clause: Habitual residence in Italy in a stable and continuous way for 10 years (qualified residence permit in case of non-EU nationals).
- No personal income or financial means lower than the social allowance.
- Income-tested (all taxable and most non-taxable income, but only 1/3 of pension based on notional defined contribution (NDC) calculation scheme is considered): annual personal income below EUR 5,978 for a single person; below EUR 11,956 for a couple; ceilings are adjusted annually.
- Flat-rate benefit: monthly amount of up to EUR 460 (paid in 13 instalments).
- In case of personal income, a partial benefit is paid up to the level of the social allowance.
- Benefit is adjusted annually to changes in the cost-of-living-index.
- Benefit is suspended if the beneficiary leaves Italy for a period exceeding 30 days.
- Benefit is reduced (by 50% or 25%) in case of in-patient care or public residential care on public expenses (where expenses are borne by the state).
Legal Basis: Pension Reform Law No. 335/1995; Law No. 133/2008; Law No. 448/2001; Law No. 14/2009; Law No. 122/2010 as modified by Law No. 214/2011.
Social Increase
Maggiorazione sociale
Coverage
- Italian and EU citizens with habitual residence in Italy who draw an insurance pension of the AGO (except pensioners of the separate scheme for atypical workers) or the social allowance and have insufficient means to cover their subsistence needs.
Financing
- Entirely tax-financed out of the general budget
Administration
- Managed by the National Institute for Social Security (INPS).
- Supervised by Ministry of Labour and Social Policies.
Qualifying Conditions
- Available at age 70; earlier access permitted for insurance pensioners (age reduced by one year for every contribution period of 5 years, up to a total of 5 years).
- Income-tested: annual personal income limit between EUR 5,978 (full benefit) and EUR 8,470 (partial benefit) for a single person; income limits between EUR 11,956 (full) and EUR 14,447 (partial) for couples.
Benefits
- Fixed flat-rate monthly supplement to social allowance and to AGO insurance pensions.
- For recipients of social allowance: monthly amount (13 instalments) of up to EUR 192.
- For recipients of a public pension: monthly amount (13 instalments) of up to EUR 136 (up to EUR 124 for beneficiaries of the 14th annual payment).
- No regular adjustments.
Coverage
Financing
Administration
Qualifying Conditions
Benefits
- Italian and EU citizens with habitual residence in Italy who draw an insurance pension of the AGO (except pensioners of the separate scheme for atypical workers) or the social allowance and have insufficient means to cover their subsistence needs.
- Entirely tax-financed out of the general budget
- Managed by the National Institute for Social Security (INPS).
- Supervised by Ministry of Labour and Social Policies.
- Available at age 70; earlier access permitted for insurance pensioners (age reduced by one year for every contribution period of 5 years, up to a total of 5 years).
- Income-tested: annual personal income limit between EUR 5,978 (full benefit) and EUR 8,470 (partial benefit) for a single person; income limits between EUR 11,956 (full) and EUR 14,447 (partial) for couples.
- Fixed flat-rate monthly supplement to social allowance and to AGO insurance pensions.
- For recipients of social allowance: monthly amount (13 instalments) of up to EUR 192.
- For recipients of a public pension: monthly amount (13 instalments) of up to EUR 136 (up to EUR 124 for beneficiaries of the 14th annual payment).
- No regular adjustments.
Legal Basis: LawNo. 544/1988 as modified by Law No. 388/2000; Law No. 448/2001; Law No. 127/2007.
Citizenship Pension
Pensione di cittadinanza
Coverage
- Italian and EU citizens residing in Italy for at least 10 consecutive years who have reached the standard statutory retirement age and are without sufficient means to cover their subsistence needs.
- In addition, non-EU citizens must be holders of a long-term residence permit.
Financing
- Entirely tax-financed out of the general budget.
Administration
- Managed by the National Institute for Social Security (INPS).
- Supervised by Ministry of Labour and Social Policies.
Qualifying Conditions
- Available at age 67; age requirement holds for all members of the family unit (unless severely disabled or needing constant care attendance).
- Qualified residence clause: habitual residence in Italy for 10 years (the last two of which in a continuous way).
- Qualified residence permit in case of non-EU nationals.
- No income or income amount below benefit level; assessment of need according to the Equivalent Economic Situation Indicator ISEE related to the family unit.
- Strictly means-tested (related to financial assets, patrimonial assets and certain durable goods): annual income below EUR 9,360 (in case of rental expenses), to be multiplied by equivalence scale parameters; financial assets (savings) not exceeding EUR 6,000 + EUR 2,000 for any additional member of the family unit, up to a ceiling of EUR 10,000 (higher ceilings in case of family members affected by disability or loss of autonomy); real estate assets not exceeding EUR 30,000 (home-ownership of habitual residence is exempted).
Benefits
- Benefit determined according to family unit composition, based on equivalence scale (with upper limit).
- Two types of benefits available: (a) flat-rate benefit of up to EUR 630/month for a single person (annual amount of up to EUR 7,560) to cover living expenses, multiplied with equivalence scale parameters in case of family units with more members, up to ceiling (ceiling increased in the presence of a seriously disabled or non-self-sufficient family member); (b) additional benefit of up to EUR 150/month (up to EUR 1,800/year) as subsidy for rental or mortgage costs; corresponding to a total amount of EUR 780/month for a single person; to EUR 1,032/month for a couple.
- No regular adjustments.
Coverage
Financing
Administration
Qualifying Conditions
Benefits
- Italian and EU citizens residing in Italy for at least 10 consecutive years who have reached the standard statutory retirement age and are without sufficient means to cover their subsistence needs.
- In addition, non-EU citizens must be holders of a long-term residence permit.
- Entirely tax-financed out of the general budget.
- Managed by the National Institute for Social Security (INPS).
- Supervised by Ministry of Labour and Social Policies.
- Available at age 67; age requirement holds for all members of the family unit (unless severely disabled or needing constant care attendance).
- Qualified residence clause: habitual residence in Italy for 10 years (the last two of which in a continuous way).
- Qualified residence permit in case of non-EU nationals.
- No income or income amount below benefit level; assessment of need according to the Equivalent Economic Situation Indicator ISEE related to the family unit.
- Strictly means-tested (related to financial assets, patrimonial assets and certain durable goods): annual income below EUR 9,360 (in case of rental expenses), to be multiplied by equivalence scale parameters; financial assets (savings) not exceeding EUR 6,000 + EUR 2,000 for any additional member of the family unit, up to a ceiling of EUR 10,000 (higher ceilings in case of family members affected by disability or loss of autonomy); real estate assets not exceeding EUR 30,000 (home-ownership of habitual residence is exempted).
- Benefit determined according to family unit composition, based on equivalence scale (with upper limit).
- Two types of benefits available: (a) flat-rate benefit of up to EUR 630/month for a single person (annual amount of up to EUR 7,560) to cover living expenses, multiplied with equivalence scale parameters in case of family units with more members, up to ceiling (ceiling increased in the presence of a seriously disabled or non-self-sufficient family member); (b) additional benefit of up to EUR 150/month (up to EUR 1,800/year) as subsidy for rental or mortgage costs; corresponding to a total amount of EUR 780/month for a single person; to EUR 1,032/month for a couple.
- No regular adjustments.
Legal Basis: Decree Law No. 4/2019, as modified by Law No. 26/2019.