Economic help for families
In Italy, there are financial measures to help families with the expenses necessary to raise their children. Find out about the various types of help available, what the requirements are and how you can apply for it.
Parents have a lot of expenses for their children: they have to buy food and clothes, send them to school, pay for sports activities, pay for medical examinations, etc.
The Italian government has therefore thought of a series of economic measures to help families with some of these expenses. These are bonuses, discounts, and allowances, especially for low-income families.
Income is the sum of the earnings and savings of a person or a family. When it is very low, the person can have difficulty paying all the expenses of daily life.
Remember, however, that the income limit is not the same for all measures. Each measure has different rules for applying and for the requirements to be met. Always check what your conditions are and if you can apply.
Also, remember that the support can change depending on the law. The information you find on this page is about the measures that are valid now. This page will be updated whenever there are new updates.
NOTE: If you need help, you can go to the nearest tax assistance center or centro di assistenza fiscale (CAF) in Italian. A CAF can give you more information, help you with the documents to prepare, and in some cases help you apply.
The bonus asilo nido is the support given to parents of small children to pay for public and even private asilo nido.
Who can apply for the bonus asilo nido?
The bonus can be requested by:
- Italian and foreign families who are resident in Italy including families with political refugee and protection status
- Families who have a child already enrolled in asilo nido for the whole year
in the application for the bonus you must, in fact, have the documents that prove that your child is enrolled and goes to asilo nido: for example, the registration documents and the payment you made for the fee - Families with children under the age of 3 who have severe chronic diseases
you need a document written by the pediatrician (pediatra) confirming the health situation of the child - There are no income limits and therefore all families with the above requirements can apply for it
There are no income limits for the bonus asilo nido. However, the amount of the bonus will change depending on the family’s income level.
There are 3 levels:
- 3.000 euros in total for families with ISEE income up to 25,000 euros
- 2.500 euros in total for families with ISEE income between 25,000 and 40,000 euros
- 1.500 euros in total for families with ISEE income exceeding 40,000
In all 3 cases, the amount is paid every month and not all at once.
How can I apply?
The application for the bonus asilo nido must be made in these ways:
- online
on the INPS website in Bonus asilo nido in the “Tutti i servizi” area. To access, you must be registered and enter with your codice Fiscale (tax code) and password, or enter with SPID credentials; - by phone
by calling the INPS contact center on 803 164 (which is free from a landline number) or 06 164 164 from a mobile phone; - in person
going to a CAF, patronato or another tax assistance office
The carta famiglia is the support given to families who have at least 3 dependent children who are under 26 of age and who have low income.
NOTE: the carta famiglia can be requested by foreign families who have Italian citizenship, or the citizenship of another European country, and are resident in Italy.
The carta famiglia is a card that allows families to have discounts. These discounts can be: to buy passes for transport, for shopping, for school material, sports and tourism activities.
On this page, you will find the shops that participate in the initiative and where you can use the carta famiglia.
Who can apply for the carta famiglia?
The carta famiglia can be requested by families who:
- are legally resident in Italy;
- have Italian citizenship or citizenship of a European country;
- have at least three dependent children under the age of 26;
- with family income ISEE not exceeding 30,000 euros
How can I apply?
The application to obtain the card is made online on the official website. Once issued, the carta famiglia is valid for 2 years. After these 2 years, the family can apply for renewal.
To use it, it is necessary to show the card in shops or in public and private structures that adhere to this initiative when paying at the cash desk.
The bonus mamma domani is the support of 800 euros that is given by INPS when a child is born.
Who can apply for the bonus mamma domani?
The bonus can be requested by:
- All Italian and foreign women who live legally in Italy, including women with refugee and protection status
- Expecting mothers, from the 8th month of pregnancy, and after giving birth within 1 year of the birth of the baby
- After the adoption of a child, both national, for a child in Italy, or internationally, a child from abroad
- There are NO income limits, so the bonus can be claimed by all families with the above requirements
How can I apply?
The bonus is not automatic and is only given to families who have applied for it. So even if you have all the requirements, but do not apply, you will not receive the bonus.
The application for the bonus mamma domani can be made from the beginning of the 8th month of pregnancy or even after the birth of the child, but within 1 year from the date of the birth.
The application for the bonus mamma domani must be made in these ways:
- online
on the INPS website in premio alla nascita – 800 euro in the “Tutti i servizi” area. To access, you must be registered and enter with your tax code (Codice Fiscale) and password, or enter with SPID credentials; - by phone
by calling the INPS contact center on 803 164 (which is free from a landline number) or 06 164 164 from a mobile phone; - in person
going to a CAF, patronato, or another tax assistance office
The € 800 bonus is paid all at once and is only given once per child.
The bonus bebè is money given to families to help them with the expenses they have when a new baby is born. This bonus is in fact given after the birth, but also the adoption, of a child. The baby bonus is paid to the family every month for 1 year.
In the event of the birth or adoption of another child, families can request a bonus bebè for the second child as well.
Who can claim the bonus bebè?
The bonus can be requested by Italian, European, and foreign mothers and parents with a regular residence permit for the children who were born and are residents in Italy. This means that mothers with political refugee status and protection can also apply for the bonus bebè.
For the bonus bebè, there are no income limits that families must respect. However, the government has decided that the amount of the bonus changes according to the family’s income.
There are 3 levels:
- a bonus of 160 euros per month for families with ISEE income up to 7,000 euros;
- a bonus of 120 euros per month for families with an ISEE income not exceeding 40,000 euros;
- a bonus of 80 euros for families with ISEE income above 40,000 euros
How can I apply?
The application for the bonus bebè must be submitted within 90 days of the child’s birth or adoption.
The application for the bonus bebè must be made in these ways:
- online
on the INPS website in servizio assegno di natalità – Bonus Bebè (Cittadino) in the “Tutti i servizi” area. To access, you must be registered and enter with your tax code (Codice Fiscale) and password, or enter with SPID credentials; - by phone
by calling the INPS contact center on 803 164 (which is free from a landline number) or 06 164 164 from a mobile phone; - in person
going to a CAF, patronato, or another tax assistance office
This allowance is for families with at least three minor children who have limited income.
However, it is important that parents and children are all registered in the same stato di famiglia. The stato di famiglia is the official document with the names of the people of our family who live at the same address. This allowance cannot be given if the children are resident in another place.
Who can apply for the assegno?
This assegno is given to:
- Italian, European and foreign citizens with a permesso di soggiorno CE di lungo periodo (regular long-term residence permit); including citizens with residence permits for humanitarian reasons and subsidiary protection
- With three or more minor children
- With a limited income
The ISEE income limit varies every year; for the year 2021 the limit is € 8,788.99
How can I apply?
The family must submit the application to their Comune by January 31 of the year after that of the application. For example, the assegno for the year 2020 can be requested until and no later than 31 December 31st, 2021.
To apply, you must submit the Dichiarazione Sostitutiva Unica ( DSU), which shows the income of the family.
If the application is accepted, the Comune makes the payment. The assegno is given for 1 year. Many municipalities also decide to make total payments: for example 2 payments instead of making payments every month. The amount of the allowance also varies depending on the municipality.
If you need more information, visit the nearest Comune office or call them by phone. You can also visit their site by searching on google: Comune di + [your city].