INPS

The pension is granted to permanent dependent workers, self-employed and freelance professionals, who have paid contributions in various funds, social security schemes or pension funds.

START DATE

The old-age pension under the totalization scheme is recognised with deferred effective date of 18 months from the date of maturity of the envisaged personal and contributory requirements.

The pension payments is recognized from the 1st day of the month following the 18th month to individuals who submit the claim for old-age pension under totalization after the 18 months following the date when the requirements have been met.

WHAT AM I ENTITLED TO?

The amount of the old-age pension is determined "pro-quota" by each pension scheme concerned, in relation to the accrued registration periods.

Generally, pension shares paid by public social security institutes are calculated using the contributory system rules.

However, if the worker registered before 1996 has already completed the minimum requirements for the right to an autonomous pension in one of these schemes, a wage-based scheme/mixed calculation is carried out.

The interested party has the right to claim the most favourable calculation system if it possesses such rights. 

Old-age pension disbursed under the totalization scheme:

• the normal IRPEF taxation is provided for similar to all the other pension payments deriving from contributions;
• the supplements by way of automatic revaluation of pensions are applied with reference to the unified benefit considered as a whole, based on the provisions of the law in force and at the expense of the scheme concerned;
• disbursement of family payments is envisaged;
• any withholding taxes are applied;
• no deductions are made for income from employment or self-employment;
• the integration to the minimum payment is not recognised;
• social supplements are granted provided that among the "quotas" that comprise the pension, at least one of the schemes with respect to which this benefit is provided exists, if the required income conditions are met.

The total amount of the pension benefit resulting from the totalization  is paid by INPS, also on behalf of other institutes with which specific agreements have been entered into.

INPS provides for the payment of pensions even in cases when no contributions were made with respect to the former.

REQUIREMENTS

The right to an old-age pension under the totalization scheme accrues upon completion of the following requirements:

• both for men and women must be 65 years of age;
• total contribution period of at least 20 years (1,040 weekly contributions);
• the existence of additional requirements, different from those related to age and contribution period, possibly provided by the individual jurisdictions for access to the old-age pension (termination of the employment relationship, removal from the professional register, etc.).

Starting from 1 January 2013, the age requirement is adjusted for life expectancy.

Totalization is restricted in the event of conversion of the ordinary invalidity allowance into an old-age pension.

HOW CAN I CLAIM?

The claim must be submitted by the worker to the last pension institution with which he/she is enrolled or had been enrolled in case of termination of the work activity.

The claim must indicate all institutes where the worker contributed. The office that receives the claim starts the procedure with the other institutes concerned.

The claim for old age pension under totalization must be submitted to INPS online via the dedicated service.