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The service allows employees in the private sector, for whom the allowance is not advanced by the employer, to communicate the data necessary for the calculation and direct payment by INPS of the illness allowance.
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LinkedinAgricultural workers- Private employees - Artists, musicians, writers and entertainment workers- Unemployed, never previously employed and suspended workers
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Publication: 16 September 2026
What is it?
The illness allowance is a social security benefit granted to workers who, due to an illness event, are temporarily unable to carry out their work.
Who is it aimed at?
The service is aimed at the following categories of employees in the private sector, for whom the illness allowance is not advanced by the employer, and direct payment by INPS is envisaged:
- fixed-term agricultural workers (OTD);
- non-agricultural workers hired on a fixed-term contract (for days not paid in advance by the employer);
- entertainment workers on a fixed-term or occasional work contract;
- seasonal workers, not remunerated by the employer based on the sector’s National Collective Labour Agreement (CCNL);
- unemployed or suspended workers;
How does it work?
START DATE AND DURATION
Entitlement to the allowance begins on the fourth day of illness (with the first three days generally covered by the employer, so-called “waiting period”) and ends upon expiry of the period stated in the illness certificate.
However, the allowance cannot be paid for more than 180 calendar days per calendar year.
WHAT AM I ENTITLED TO?
The amount of the illness allowance varies according to the sector and the worker's qualification. In most cases it is equal to:
- 50% of the overall average daily salary for the month preceding the onset of the illness, for compensable days falling within the first 20 days of illness (excluding, for example, Sundays, the patron saint’s day, national and midweek public holidays, periods of suspension and disciplinary measures, etc.);
- 66.66% of the global average daily wage for the following days of the same illness.
Claim
To be eligible for the allowance, the worker must submit the illness certificate in accordance with the procedures and within the time limits established by the relevant legislation.
In order for the office to examine the case, the worker is required to provide the information needed to calculate and pay the benefit, together with any relevant documentation.
For further information, you can also consult the page “Illness allowance/hospitalisation and medical home examinations” (in Italian).
The service is also accessible via the Multichannel Contact Centre.
Processing times of the measure
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.