New mothers get a one-time "baby bonus" of 800 euros in Italy. Non-citizens who had their bonus requests denied can now file for a review, after a court ruled that not just Italian mothers should have access to the bonus.
The social security institute (INPS) has issued instructions to enable non-Italians to request a review of their request for the 800-euro 'baby bonus'. This applies to all pregnant women and new mothers legally residing in Italy. This comes after two sentences in the Italian judiciary, among them a ruling by the Court of Milan that deemed the INPS' restrictions illegal.
Court ruled: INPS guidelines not legal
The one-time 'baby bonus' of 800 euros was introduced January 1 last year as part of the 2017 Stability Law. Future mothers can file a request starting from their seventh month of pregnancy.
In February 2017, the INPS said - in its guidelines on the requirements for the bonus - that the bonus was available to foreigners only if that had a long-term EU residency permit.
In December, the Court of Milan upheld an appeal against the INPS guidelines, saying that the founding law of the 'baby bonus' did not give INPS any power to restrict the number of beneficiaries. The court ordered INPS to provide the bonus to all future mothers legally residing in Italy.
Rejected requests can be reviewed
Now, foreign mothers legally residing in Italy, who previously had their bonus requests rejected, can file for a second review of their application. The women have to fill out a request available online and present it to the local INPS office. INPS has also issued a new informational section on the website to explain the extension of the bonus.