Assegno unico: from 2026 what counts is that you work, not which permit you hold

The assegno unico e universale is a sum INPS pays every month, for every child, up to 18 — and up to 21 if the child studies, does a traineeship or works for a low income. For children with disabilities there is no age limit.

It is not a prize to be won: it is due to whoever meets the requirements, and you apply once.

The 2026 change, and it concerns you

Until recently, for a non-EU citizen the sticking point was the type of permit: anyone without a long-term permit or a single work permit of at least six months was left out, even after years of working.

From 2026 this is no longer the case. The requirement can also be met by holding an employment contract, or self-employment entailing registration with an Italian social security scheme, provided your contributions are in order.

And there is a second opening: holders of the permesso per attesa occupazione — the permit you hold when you lose your job — can now access the allowance. Previously they could not.

And since 21 April 2026 the obstacle that stopped people who had recently arrived is gone too: you no longer need to have been resident in Italy for at least two years, nor an employment contract of at least six months. That requirement was repealed by article 7-bis of decree-law 19/2026, converted by law 50/2026.

Something nobody will tell you at the counter: this opening comes from how the court cases are going, and the Court of Cassation has not said the final word. On the nursery bonus INPS puts it in writing — it accepts applications from holders of the permit while awaiting employment «subject to recovery», meaning it could claim the money back if the rulings changed direction. That is not a reason to skip it: it is a reason not to treat the money as final until the matter is settled.

If you were refused in the past: apply again. A refusal under the old rules says nothing about the new ones.

How much

The amount depends on your ISEE (the Italian means-test indicator) and is updated yearly for inflation. For 2026 the uprating is 1.4 %:

Your ISEE	Per child, per month
up to € 17,468.51	€ 227 (the maximum)
between the two thresholds	it falls as the ISEE rises
above € 46,582.71, or no ISEE	€ 58 (the minimum)

On top of these there are increases that add up where they apply: from the third child onwards, for children with disabilities, for mothers under 21, and when both parents work.

These figures change every year, usually between February and March, because they are revalued with inflation and the ISEE thresholds move with them. We rewrite them at every update, and the date of our last check is at the top of the page: if you got here many months later, today's amount can be checked on the INPS website, in the single allowance section, or by asking a patronato — which is free. The figure that counts is always the INPS one, not ours.

We deliberately do not give the figures for the increases here: they are four different cases with four different sums, and each deserves a proper explanation rather than one line. We will write a separate article about them.

The date to mark: 30 June

This is the part that costs real money to those who do not know it.

• With no valid ISEE, from March the allowance is paid at the minimum — € 58 instead of € 227, per child, per month.
• If you file the DSU (the ISEE declaration) by 30 June, they pay you the arrears from March.
• If you file it later, the full amount starts from the following month and the earlier months stay at the minimum. That money does not come back.

For a family with two children, the difference between an ISEE filed in January and one filed in September is several hundred euros. How to do the ISEE is in ISEE step by step: how to do it yourself, from your phone.

You apply once

Anyone with an approved application does not have to reapply: since 2023 INPS keeps paying automatically. What must be renewed every year is the ISEE, not the application.

There are, however, things you must report, or the amount stays wrong:

• another child was born;
• a disability has been recognised;
• you have separated;
• the IBAN where you receive the money has changed;
• a child has turned 18.

How to apply the first time

On the INPS website with SPID, the electronic ID card or the Carta Nazionale dei Servizi, or from the INPS Mobile app. Or free of charge at a patronato, which is the right route if your situation is complicated — children in another country, separation, a job just started.

You need an IBAN of an account or a card in your name: the allowance is only paid that way, never in cash. If you do not have one, see Account, prepaid card or Poste: the difference is one line.

Three things worth knowing beforehand

• The allowance does not cancel other support: it adds to the social bonus on bills and to municipal help.
• If the parents are separated, the allowance can be split in half between them: you state it in the application.
• For children living abroad what counts is where they live: since 21 April 2026 the allowance is also granted for children residing in another European Union country, but not outside the Union. It is explained in full in Children living abroad: since 2026 the single allowance is granted, but only inside the European Union.