Maritime workers illness allowance: supplementary communication

The allowance for absolute temporary incapacity due to additional illness:

• is paid from the fourth day following the date of the report of the illness;
• if health requirements are met, for a maximum of one year from disembarkation.

The allowance for temporary incapacity due to illness for seafarers under permanent contract/paid availability:

• is paid from the fourth day following the date of the report of the illness;
• if health requirements are met, for a maximum of 180 days.

The allowance for temporary unsuitability for boarding following common illness is paid in relation to the entire period of temporary unsuitability, up to a maximum of one year from the date of report of illness.

WHAT AM I ENTITLED TO?

The allowance for absolute temporary incapacity due to main illness is paid:

• for events occurring by 31 December 2023 amounting to 75% of the remuneration received 30 days prior to disembarking. If the worker has worked for less than 30 days, the fixed pay is calculated on a monthly basis;
• for events from 1 January 2024, equal to 60% of the average daily remuneration of the month before the illness;
• for events within the first 30 days of  employment, calculated on the basis of the remuneration actually received, in proportion to the number of days worked.

For workers in the fishing industry, for whom average or agreed wages are set (Law No. 413 of 26 July 1984), the allowance continues to be calculated as a percentage of the remuneration specified for their category.

The allowance for absolute temporary incapacity due to additional illness is paid:

• for events by 31 December 2023 amounting to 75% of the remuneration received in the 30 days prior to disembarking;
• for events from 1 January 2024, equal to 60% of the average daily remuneration of the month before the illness;
• for events within the first thirty days of  employment, calculated on the basis of the remuneration actually received, in proportion to the number of days  worked.

The allowance for temporary incapacity due to illness for seafarers under permanent contract/paid availability is paid:

• in the percentage of 50% (for the first 20 days) and 66.66% (from the 21st to 180th day) of the remuneration paid when the illness occurred;
• for events from 1 January 2024 to the extent of 50% (for the first 20 days) and 66.66% (from the 21st to the 180th day) of the remuneration for the month preceding the event;
• in the event of hospitalisation, for workers who have no fiscally dependent family members it is reduced to 2/5 of the regular allowance.

The allowance for temporary unsuitability for boarding following common illness:

• it is paid in the percentage of 75% of the remuneration used for the assumed event of illness;
• for the purposes of the calculation it is necessary to consider only the ordinary remuneration:
  
  • any variable items are excluded (e.g. overtime compensation, tank cleaning);
  • the navigation allowance (in the percentage of 50%) is to be considered, as it is an ordinary and continuous compensation.

MEDICAL DOCUMENTATION AND MEDICAL HOME VISITS TO ASCERTAIN ILLNESS

With the electronic certificate the worker is exempted from the obligation to send it to INPS.

In cases where electronic transmission is not possible, the worker shall have the GP issue the illness certificate in paper form and complete with all the data required by law.

Within two days from the date of issue, the worker shall submit or send:

• the original paper certificate to the competent local INPS office;
• the attestation to their employer (if required).

Failure to submit the certificate by the specified deadline will result in the loss of entitlement for each day of unjustified delay.

Electronic transmission is also allowed for certificates of hospitalization and illness certificates issued by hospitals.

If, on the other hand, the certificates are prepared in paper form, the worker shall submit or send them:

• to the competent local INPS office;
• to the employer (if required).

The certificates of hospitalization (but not any of those for post-hospitalization illness) can be delivered even two days after the date of issue, but in any case, within the one-year limitation period for the benefit.

The hospitalisation certificate and the certificate regarding the day spent at the emergency room without diagnosis are not considered to have certifying value for the purposes of recognising the social security benefit.

The worker is required to:

• provide an address for availability
  (district, suburb, complexes comprising several buildings, etc.);
• check that the data have been correctly entered in the illness certificate drawn up by the attending physician, to allow for home medico-legal checks, if required.

For the payment of the allowance, the worker shall be available at home during the periods of availability provided for by law, to allow verification of the temporary incapacity for work.

The hours of availability are, for all days reported in the illness certification (including Saturdays, Sundays and holidays), from 10 to 12 and from 17 to 19.

If a worker is absent during a medical home visit without a valid reason, they will forfeit their illness allowance, up to a maximum of:

• ten days from the start of the illness, for the first absence;
• 50 per cent of the allowance for the remainder of the period, in the event of a second absence;
• 100 per cent of the allowance, from the date of the third absence.

If, as a result of a medical home visit, the worker is unknown or unavailable they lose their entitlement to the allowance.

This may occur when:

• the doctor is unable to locate the address provided by the worker;
• the worker is not found or is unknown at that address.

The benefit will not be paid until the person concerned provides the missing or incomplete information.

If necessary, during the period covered by the medical certificate, the worker may update their contact address by notifying INPS promptly via the dedicated online service.

For the allowance for temporary unsuitability for boarding following a common illness, the health documentation consists of:

• the report of the medical examination carried out by the collegial medical commission established at the port authorities;
• or the decision on any appeal against the report of the first-instance visit; any appeal shall be submitted to the central commission.

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Users who are unable to use online services autonomously can delegate a trusted person, through the digital identity delegation tool (INPS Circular No. 127 of 12 August 2021 (in Italian)).

Alternatively, claims can be made by:

• calling the Multichannel Contact Centre on +39 803 164 (free from Italian landlines) or +39 06 164 164 from mobile phones;
• patronage institutes and intermediaries of the Institutes, through the online services offered by them.

The supplementary communication must be presented only for the first medical certificate, even if the illness involves several medical certificates.

The communication must be submitted at the onset of the illness, based on the ‘Event type’ and ‘disembarkation date’ fields.

For the "continuation" of the same illness event, any certificate transmitted electronically is automatically received.

If the certificate is in paper form, the worker must send it to the relevant INPS office within two days of its issue; otherwise, they will lose their entitlement to the benefit for the days of unjustified delay.

For events of temporary unsuitability for boarding due to common illnesses, the following will have to be presented:

• the report issued by the Collegial Medical Commission at the Port Authority;
• the decision of the central commission (on any appeal filed by the interested party against an unfavourable report).

Information required for the claim

To submit the supplementary communication, the user must have the following information:

• tax identification code of the employer;
• the vessel on which they have worked;
• the classification qualification;
• any IBAN, and, in the case of a foreign IBAN outside the SEPA area, the SWIFT/BIC code.

The user must attach to the supplementary communication:

• documentation proving the date of landing;
• copy of the Seaman’s Discharge Book, if held, or other equivalent documentation issued by a subject institutionally competent to manage the employment-employer relationship (port authorities, authorised foreign subjects);
• must also attach the financial identification form (if not already produced to the Institute during previous payment requests) for the payment of the allowance by crediting a foreign IBAN.

A new feature is also available for consulting the status of maritime workers’ illness files in the Institute's electronic archives, for the three years preceding the date of consultation.

In the same section of the online service, the user manual, relating to the features and the compilation guide, is available.

Payment method

Accepted methods of payment are:

• bank transfer made payable at the post office (cash payment is allowed only within the limit set by current legislation);
• credit to a bank current account (Italian or foreign);
• credit to a post office current account;
• top-up card.

For all the payment methods, with the exception of bank transfer made payable at the post office are required:

• the IBAN/account number;
• for non-SEPA foreign current accounts, the SWIFT/BIC code.

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The table (in Italian) shows the deadlines exceeding thirty days, set by the Institute with a Regulation.

In addition to the terms for the issuance of the measure, the table (in Italian) also indicates the relative manager.

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