Families remain one of the points on which Prime Minister Meloni insists most and in the maneuver just approved by the Council of Ministers there is a large portion of resources allocated to this chapter. There is the strengthening of the bonus for working mothers, the “welcome” to newborns, the extension of parental leave. Let’s take a closer look at what the government has decided.
Working mothers bonus
The so-called “working mothers bonus” is strengthened. This is the benefit given to women with at least two children and an income from work not exceeding 40,000 euros per year.
Meanwhile the measure becomes “structural”. It means that it becomes permanent, it is no longer a temporary aid that must be confirmed from year to year. And it is confirmed in the “extended” version, i.e. including self-employed and fixed-term workers among those entitled. The age limits for children should remain unchanged. For mothers with two children, the youngest must not yet be ten years old. For those with at least three children, however, the age limit of the youngest child is set at 18 years.
The “treasure” for newborns
Among the new measures there is also the social security piggy bank, with 100 euros of “welcome” per year paid by public coffers. Family members will be able to integrate the account, opened by INPS, with other non-taxable and non-attachable sums. The sum can only be used when the beneficiary turns 18. The boy will be able to use it to enroll in university, to start a business or continue to feed it as a future form of supplementary pension. This piggy bank will also apply to those born after 2027, but the measure will have to be refinanced.
Parental leave
The paid parental leave is then extended to 80% of the salary and is further extended as the number of children increases: 4 months for the first, 5 months for the second and 6 months from the third child onwards.
For self-employed parents there is also a voucher of 500 euros for the purchase of conciliation services for three months.