Single universal allowance for children: how does it work?

Since January 2022, some of the best-known bonuses to support family expenses have been incorporated into a single allowance: the universal single allowance for dependent children .

This single family allowance  is therefore an economic support for families: let’s see together in detail who is entitled to it, how to request it and what it replaces.

Single universal check: how it works

The application for the universal single allowance is presented once a year by one of the two parents (or guardians) exercising parental responsibility. Even the adult child can apply for himself to obtain the single allowance once a year.

The parent or guardian who submits the application must certainly possess citizenship, residency and stay in Italy.

The single and universal allowance  is paid directly by INPS to the parent (or guardian) who requests it by crediting the bank or postal current account.

This new economic aid actually replaces the following bonuses:

• bonus at birth or adoption (Bonus mom tomorrow)
• allowance for families with at least three minor children
• family allowances to families with children and orphans
• birth grant (baby bonus)
• tax deductions for children up to the age of 21

The nursery bonus has not been included in the single allowance, so you can apply following the same instructions as in previous years.

The allowance is  compatible with the use of other measures to support the family and dependent children provided by the Regions, the autonomous Provinces and the Municipalities and does not require a further application for households receiving the Citizenship Income.

Single universal allowance: who is entitled to it and how to request it

The single and universal check can be requested for:

• any dependent minor children
• newborns , starting  from the seventh month of pregnancy
• each adult dependent child, up to the age of 21 who:
  • attend a school or vocational training course
  • carries out an internship and has a total income of less than 8,000 euros per year
  • is registered as an unemployed job seeker with the public employment services
  • perform the universal civil service
• every dependent child with a disability, without age limits

The amount of the single and universal allowance for dependent children is variable as it  is determined on the basis of the economic condition of the family nucleus , verified taking into account the currently valid ISEE . 

The grant can also be requested in the absence of  an ISEE  or with  an ISEE  above the threshold of Euro 40 thousand . In this case,  the minimum amounts established by law will be paid   .

Since this check includes the mom tomorrow bonus and the baby bonus , the application can be submitted from the  seventh month of pregnancy for newborns starting from 1 March 2022.

The application for the single and universal allowance is annual , including the monthly payments that go  from March to February of the following year.  It can be presented  starting from 1 January 2022  by one of the two parents exercising parental responsibility, regardless of whether they  live with the child, directly through the INPS website or through patronage.

For applications submitted  after 30 June , the Grant starts  from the month following that of submission  and is determined on the basis of the ISEE  at the time of the request.

The application can be submitted :

• by accessing  the ” Single and universal allowance for dependent children ” service from the INPS website  with at least level 2 SPID, Electronic Identity Card 3.0 (CIE) or National Services Card (CNS);
• by contacting the  toll-free number 803.164  (free from a landline) or the  number 06 164.164  (from a mobile network, with the rate applied by the telephone operator);
• through  patronage bodies , through the telematic services offered free of charge by them.

Single universal check: how much is it?

If the applicant has presented the ISEE, then the amount of the Universal Single Allowance is calculated on the ISEE basis, taking into account the age of dependent children, any disabilities and so on.

If, on the other hand, the applicant has not presented the ISEE, the amount of the single allowance will be minimal for each child.

For families with an ISEE of less than 15,000 euros , a basic allowance of 175 euros is due for each minor child . This value decreases as the ISEE increases, until it stabilizes at 50 euros per month per child for ISEE equal to or greater than 40,000 euros .

Various surcharges are added to this base for:

• each child after the second;
• large families;
• children with disabilities;
• mothers under the age of 21;
• households with two income earners.