Italy - Civil incapacity and long-term care benefits
This chapter present benefits, in cash and in kind, provided by the Italian welfare system to support workers suffering from chronic physical and/or mental incapacity which prevents them from being self-sufficient and, therefore, makes it impossible to provide for themselves.
Civil incapacity and long-term care benefits are granted to entitled disabled persons, in the form of:
- cash benefits (provided in the form of pensions, allowances or compensation);
- benefits in kind, or non-cash benefits (healthcare and long-term care, home care or residential facilities, assistance with education, professional training or instruction, privileged recruitment with public or private bodies) in order to guarantee maintenance and social support of those unable to work and who do not have the necessary means to live.
In what situation can I claim?
You are entitled to civil incapacity and long-term care benefits if you meet the following conditions:
- you are an Italian citizen, not self-sufficient, and resident in Italy;
- you are a citizen of the EU, and registered in your municipality of residence;
- you are a citizen of a third Country, and staying legally in the Country.
Except for the constant attendance allowance (Assegno di accompagnamento), communication allowance for the deaf-mutes (Indennità di comunicazione per sordomuti) and special allowance for partially blind persons (Prestazioni per ciechi parziali), these benefits are granted to you based on your economic circumstances and are provided in kind and/or in the form of cash benefits.
What conditions do I need to meet?
Your entitlement to cash benefits as a disabled person, with the exception of the carer allowance, communication for the deaf allowance and special benefit for the partially blind, is based on your personal income.
You are entitled to the full amount of cash benefits if your personal income does not exceed certain limits.
You must also meet the following requirements:
- inability to work without the permanent assistance of a carer;
- need for permanent assistance to carry out everyday activities/tasks.
Entitlement to these benefits is subject to assessment of your degree of self-sufficiency by a mixed medical and legal board, made up of doctors representing both the local health authorities and the INPS, which may also carry out subsequent checks.
What am I entitled to and how can I claim?
Depending on your case, you may be entitled to the following cash benefits.
The cash benefits provided if you are a disabled person are:
- constant attendance allowance;
- monthly allowance in relation to reduced work capacity and low income (known as “Assegno mensile di assistenza per invalidi con ridotta capacità lavorativa in stato di bisogno economico” in Italian);
- disability pension (known as “Pensione di inabilità per invalidi civili” in Italian).
The cash benefits provided if you are a deaf person are:
- the pension;
- communication allowance.
The cash benefits provided if you are a totally blind person are:
- the pension;
- special allowance.
The cash benefits provided if you are a partially blind person are:
- the pension,
- special allowance.
Cash benefits are also provided in the form of a VAT reduction on:
- purchases of prosthetics or other necessary medical equipment;
- purchases or adjustment of private means of transport;
- purchases of devices which allow independent activity to be carried out.
Payment of an annual allowance is also provided if you are a worker suffering from thalassemia (Cooley's anaemia) or Sickle cell disease (sickle cell anaemia).
The amounts of cash benefits are determined by law on an annual basis.
Benefits in kind include:
- home assistance and care;
- stays in facilities offering board, medical and nursing care;
- support for education, professional training and instruction;
- preferential recruitment with public or private bodies;
- assistance from family members ('informal carers');
- hospital recovery;
- stay in an old persons' home.
From 1 January 2010, you must submit your claim for civil incapacity benefits, along with your medical certificate, to the INPS which shall proceed to forward it electronically to the competent LHA. Submission of the claim, on your own behalf or by other authorised subjects (Patronati - Employees organisations or Disability Rights Associations) is done in 2 phases:
- compilation of a (digital) medical certificate evidencing the nature of the disabling infirmity (the certificate is valid for 90 days): see link to the AP 42- SS3 form provided below;
- forwarding the claim to the INPS, electronically only.
Jargon busters
- LHA: local health authority
- Benefits in cash: economic benefits in the form of a disability pension
- Monthly care or attendance allowance
- Carer allowance
- Communication allowance
- Benefits in kind: healthcare and long-term care services
Forms you may need to fill in
- You must submit a claim for healthcare and long-term care benefit through the online services of the INPS website by also uploading the relevant certificate SS3 from your GP;
- You must communicate the necessary socio-economic information for allocation and provision of civil incapacity benefits by uploading the relevant 'AP70' form.
Know your rights
Information about the social security rights provided for by Italian law can be found here
Welfare and Civil Incapacity (Assistenza e Invalidità Civile).
Also, below is the link to access European Commission publications on coordination of social security rights for those who live or travel in the EU:
Who do you need to contact?
National Social Security Institute (INPS)
Via Ciro il Grande 21
00144 Rome RM ITALY
Tel. +39 06803164 (normal operator rates apply)
Multi-channel Contact Centre - Toll-free number: 803164 (free of charge) Website: http://www.inps.it
National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work (INAIL)
Piazzale G. Pastore 6 00144 Rome RM ITALY
Toll-free number: +803164
Website: http://www.inail.it
Ministry for Employment and Social Policy
Via Veneto 56 00187 Rome RM ITALY
Toll-free number: 800196196
E-mail: centrodicontatto@lavoro.gov.it
Website: http://www.lavoro.gov.it
Your primary care physician
Competent local health authority (LHA)
Employees organisations and tax assistance centres (Patronati, CAF)