INPS

The benefit is due to workers enrolled in the Compulsory General Insurance (AGO) – which includes the Employees’ Pension Fund (FPLD) and the special management schemes for self-employed workers (artisans, traders, independent farmers, settlers and sharecroppers) – and to the substitute and exclusive forms of the same, managed by the INPS, as well as to Workers enrolled in the Separate Pension Scheme (Gestione Separata).

The service may not be accessed by personnel belonging to the Armed Forces, staff of the Police Force and Prison Service, operational staff of the National Fire Department or by the staff of the Guardia di Finanza [Finance police].

START DATE E DURATION

The rules on starting dates vary according to the employer, public or private, or the social security pension scheme with regard to which the pension benefit is paid.

Employees employed by employers other than public administrations and self-employed workers, who fulfil the prescribed requirements from 01 January 2022 shall be entitled to start benefiting from the pension scheme three months after the requirements have been fulfilled (the so-called window).

With reference to these workers, in the case in which the pension benefit is paid by a pension scheme that is not exclusively AGO, the first effective date for the aforementioned pension is set on the first day of the month following the start of the “window”.

On the other hand, concerning employees, if the pension benefit is paid under the exclusive pension scheme of the AGO (for example, Separate Pension Scheme of Civil Servants Pension Fund, Local Authority Employee Pension Fund, Judicial Officers’ Pension Fund, etc.), the first effective date of the benefit is fixed on the first day following the opening of the "window".

Civil servants employed by public administrations, referred to in article 1, paragraph 2, Legislative Decree no. 165 of 30 March 2001, obtain the right to the first effective date of the pension benefit after six months from fulfilling the requirements ("window").

Concerning these workers, where the pension benefit is paid by:

• an exclusive pension scheme of the AGO, the first effective date of the benefit is fixed on the first day following the opening of the "window";
• a pension scheme different from the exclusive scheme of the AGO, the first effective date of the benefit is fixed on the first day of the month following the opening of the "window".

The staff of the school sector and the High Artistic, Musical and Choral Education (AFAM) obtain the right to the pension benefit from 1 September and 1 November of the year of fulfilling the set requirements, respectively.

The right to the commencement of early pension at 64 years of age and 38 years of contributions, with the accumulation of insurance periods paid or credited to two or more of the management schemes indicated by law, is determined in relation to the last position held as an employee of the public administrations, employee of parties other than the public administrations or self-employed. For workers whose last employment was as a Public administrations employee, if they are simultaneously registered with more than one pension scheme, the provisions of point 2 above shall apply. Regardless, the cumulative pension shall begin from the first day of the month following the start of the relevant “window”.

Workers who fulfil the prescribed requirements in 2022 can be entitled to a pension from any moment after the opening of the “window”.

REQUIREMENTS

In order to obtain the early pension at 64 years of age and 38 years of contributions, the termination of the employment relationship is required.

It is also necessary to be, by 31 December 2022, not less than 64 years old and have contributory seniority of not less than 38 years.

For the purposes of fulfilling the contribution requirement, any kind of contribution which has been paid or credited to the insured individual can be evaluated, without prejudice to the simultaneous requirement to reach 35 years of contributions, net of the period of illness, unemployment and/or equivalent benefits, if required by the management scheme responsible for paying the pension.

The contribution requirement set for this type of early pension can be completed, at the claim of the person in question, also by accumulating all, and in full, the insurance periods paid or credited to the AGO, the substitute and exclusive forms of the same, managed by the INPS, and the Separate Pension Scheme. The entitlement to a direct pension under one of these forms of compulsory insurance precludes exercising the right to aggregate insurance periods.

No cumulation of pensions with income from employment

Early pension with 64 years of age and 38 years of contributions is not cumulative with the income deriving from any work activity, also carried out abroad, except those deriving from occasional self-employment within the limit of 5,000 euro gross per annum. This non-cumulation applies to the period between the effective date of the pension and the date of fulfilling the personal requirement for the old-age pension – adjusted to the increases in life expectancy – provided for in the pension scheme under which the early pension was paid with 64 years of age and 38 years of contributions. The production of income deriving from work other than occasional self-employment, or the production of income deriving from occasional self-employment beyond the limit of 5,000 euro gross per annum, entails the suspension of the provision of the pension benefit in the year of producing this income and the possible recovery of the pension instalments unduly paid.

HOW CAN I CLAIM?

The claim to the INPS can be submitted online using the dedicated service.

Alternatively, claims can be made by:

• Calling the contact centre on +39 803 164 (free from Italian landlines) or +39 06 164 164 on mobile phones.
• Online services offered by patronage institutes and intermediaries thereof.

The ordinary deadline for issuing the measures is set at 30 days under Law no. 241/1990. In some cases, the law may set different deadlines.

The table shows the deadlines exceeding thirty days, set by the Institute with Regulation.

In addition to the terms for the issuance of the decision, the table also indicates the relevant manager.