December is not just the month of the thirteenth and holidays: for many Italian pensioners there is also a little extra called the Christmas bonus. This is an additional amount of 154.94 euros that INPS automatically credits with the December pension, designed to support those who live on checks for an amount close to the minimum.
It is not a Christmas gift in the strict sense, but a measure introduced by the 2001 finance law to help the most vulnerable groups cope with holiday expenses and the cost of living. However, pay attention to the fact that the bonus is not universal: it is only available to those who respect specific income limits and type of pension. No questions are needed: the social security institution independently verifies the requirements and credits the sum to those who are entitled to it.
Who will receive the bonus and who will be excluded
The beneficiaries will be the holders of social security pensions paid by INPS, such as old age, seniority or reversibility pensions. However, recipients of welfare pensions, social allowances or civil disability are excluded, as are company managers and pensioners of credit institutions.
The right to the bonus depends not only on the type of treatment, but also on the overall personal and family income. For single pensioners, the annual income must not exceed 1.5 times the minimum salary, while for those who are married or in a civil partnership the limit rises to 3 times the minimum, provided that the individual income does not exceed the personal income required by law.
How it is calculated and when it arrives
The calculation of the amount varies based on the amount of the pension: those who receive a pension lower than or equal to the minimum salary receive the entire bonus, while those who slightly exceed that threshold will have a reduced amount, equal to the difference between the maximum limit and the actual pension.
Payment will occur together with the December check, without the need for requests or documents. If the bonus is not credited despite being entitled to it, the pensioner can request the reconstitution of the pension via the INPS portal. A little help, but useful for tackling Christmas expenses with a little more serenity.
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