Birth of a child
The child must be added to the existing application. Within 120 days of the birth, this gives arrears back to the seventh month of pregnancy.
CAF services · INPS benefits
Child benefit in Turin: the Assegno Unico e Universale
The Assegno Unico (the universal child benefit) replaced family allowances and the tax deductions for dependent children under 21. Every family with children is entitled to it, but the amount depends on the ISEE (the Italian means-test indicator): without a valid certificate you receive the minimum.
01 · Requirements
Who gets the child benefit and for which children
The Assegno Unico is universal: every household with dependent children is entitled to it, whatever the parent's work situation. Employees, the self-employed, the unemployed, pensioners and people whose income is too low to pay tax all receive it, without distinction.
The entitlement covers each dependent child from the seventh month of pregnancy until they turn twenty-one, with a condition that changes after eighteen: from eighteen to twenty-one the benefit is paid if the child is in education or training, is doing a traineeship or working with a total income below the set threshold, is registered as unemployed and looking for work, or is doing the servizio civile universale (national civilian service).
For children with a disability there is no age limit, and there are extra amounts graded according to the recognised level of disability.
- Italian or EU citizens, or holders of a qualifying residence permit
- Resident and domiciled in Italy, with children who are dependent for tax purposes
- Liable to pay income tax in Italy
- Resident in Italy for at least two years, not necessarily continuous, or holding a permanent contract or a fixed-term contract of at least six months
The benefit does not count towards taxable income: you do not declare it, it has no effect on IRPEF (Italian personal income tax) and it does not reduce other income-related benefits.
02 · How much you get
How the amount is worked out
The basic amount moves in the opposite direction to the ISEE: it falls gradually as the indicator rises, down to a fixed minimum amount that is always paid, even to people with a very high ISEE or no ISEE at all.
On top of the basic amount come the extra amounts, which are the least known part and the one most often lost, because the conditions that give the right to them are not reported to INPS (the Italian National Social Security Institute).
- Children after the second: an extra amount for each child from the third onwards.
- Households with four or more children: an additional flat-rate amount for the household.
- Mothers under twenty-one: a fixed monthly extra amount.
- Both parents earning income from work: an extra amount that falls as the ISEE rises.
- Children with a disability: extra amounts graded for non-self-sufficiency, severe and moderate disability, with no age limit.
- Children under one, and households with at least three children that include children aged one to three: a percentage increase within the set ISEE thresholds.
How much the ISEE matters
Between a low ISEE and no ISEE, the difference for a single child is several tens of euros a month. Across two children and twelve monthly payments, it adds up to a sum well worth the time of an appointment.
- Without a valid ISEE you receive the minimum amount
- An ISEE filed by 30 June gives you arrears back to March
- Filed after 30 June, it applies from the following month with no recovery
- The disability extra amounts do not depend on the ISEE
03 · Procedure
How and when to apply
You apply to INPS once and the application remains valid in later years: renewal is automatic and you do not need to apply again. What has to be done again every year is the ISEE.
The application can be made by the parent who has parental responsibility, or by an adult child for their own share.
Up-to-date ISEE
Before the application, or at the same time: without a valid certificate the amount is the minimum.
Filing
Online submission to INPS with the details of the household and the children, and the conditions that give the right to extra amounts.
Payment method
The applicant's IBAN, or a 50% split between the two parents, if requested.
Checking the outcome
Checking that the application has been accepted and the amount paid, with any back months reconstructed if needed.
- From JanuaryRenewing the ISEEThe new DSU (the self-declaration behind the ISEE) for the current year: the sooner you file it, the sooner the amount is brought into line
- MarchStart of the new benefit yearThe benefit is recalculated on the ISEE valid on that date
- 30 JuneDeadline for arrearsISEE filed by this date: recalculation with adjustment back to March
- From 1 JulyNo recoveryThe updated amount applies from the month after filing
- Within 120 daysApplication for newbornsFiled within 120 days of the birth, it gives arrears back to the seventh month of pregnancy
04 · What to report
What you need to report during the year
Automatic renewal applies to the application, not to the data. If something changes in the household and you do not report it, the amount stays wrong one way or the other: if it is too low you lose money, if it is too high INPS claws it back.
Turning 18
From eighteen to twenty-one the benefit is paid only under certain conditions, which must be declared: study, training, traineeship, work below the threshold, registered unemployment.
Change of IBAN
Update it before the next payment, otherwise the payment is rejected and getting it back takes time.
Separation or custody
The split between the parents changes and must be updated: with shared custody the benefit is normally paid 50% to each.
Recognition of a disability
This gives the right to significant extra amounts and to payment beyond twenty-one. Report it as soon as the assessment report is available.
Moving abroad
This may mean you no longer meet the residence requirement. Report it to avoid overpayments you would have to repay.
Amounts received in excess are recovered by INPS through deductions from later payments. Reporting a change in time avoids a debt you would otherwise discover months later.
05 · What to avoid
The mistakes that reduce the amount
Renewing the ISEE in September
After 30 June arrears cannot be recovered: the full amount applies only from the following month.
Not declaring the second income
The extra amount for two working parents is not automatic: it must be stated in the application.
Forgetting the adult child
When the child turns eighteen the benefit stops unless you declare the condition that allows it to continue.
ISEE with discrepancies
A certificate flagged with discrepancies may be rejected: it has to be corrected with an amended DSU.
Both parents applying
If both parents apply for the same children, the second application is rejected and payment is blocked.
Frequently asked
The questions that keep coming up
Do I have to apply again every year?
No. Once made, the application renews automatically in later years, as long as the requirements are still met.
What you do have to redo every year is the ISEE: it is what sets the amount. Without a valid certificate the benefit is still paid, but at the minimum rate.
Am I entitled if I do not work?
Yes. It is a universal measure: it does not depend on the applicant's work situation. The unemployed, pensioners, the self-employed and people whose income is too low to pay tax all receive it.
Your work situation matters only for one specific extra amount, the one paid when both parents earn income from work.
How does it work for separated parents?
The benefit is normally paid 50% to each parent. With sole custody it can be paid in full to the parent who has custody, if requested.
The parents can agree for the whole amount to be paid to one of them. The split must be stated in the application and updated if the situation changes.
My child has turned 18: will I keep receiving it?
Only if one of the set conditions applies: attending a school, vocational or university course; a traineeship or work with a total income below the set threshold; registration as unemployed and looking for work with the public employment services; doing the servizio civile universale.
The condition must be declared to INPS: it is not picked up automatically, and without a declaration payment stops when the child turns eighteen.
I received less than expected: what should I check?
In this order: whether the ISEE is valid and has no discrepancy flags; whether the extra amounts you are entitled to have been requested; whether the children's details are up to date; whether there are deductions to recover amounts overpaid in previous years.
If you bring the latest ISEE certificate and the application receipt, we can reconstruct the position and see where the difference comes from.
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The mistake that costs the most is not renewing the ISEE in January
The application renews itself; the ISEE does not. Without a valid certificate by February, the amount drops to the minimum from March, and only part of it can be recovered.