Social security incentives for infants: the proposal of Fratelli d'Italia

The social security chapter of the manoeuvre could be enriched by a proposal that concerns families with newborns. The idea, borrowed from the Trentino Alto Adige region, is to establish an incentive to enrol newborns in complementary forms of social security.

The proposal is strongly supported by Fratelli d'Italia and aims to strengthen measures in favour of the family and the birth rate. In practice, it envisages the payment of an economic contribution for each newborn child to encourage the opening of a complementary pension fund in the child's name.

In Trentino, a bonus was introduced a few months ago for every baby, from birth, provided that he or she is enrolled in a pension fund. The contribution is €300 at birth, or at the time of adoption or fostering, and is paid directly into the child's social security position. For the following four years, a further €200 per year will be paid, provided that the family pays at least €100 per year into the same fund. The measure also applies to children who have already been born: on a transitional basis, the contribution will also apply to children who on 1 January 2025 are not yet five years old or for whom five years have not yet passed since adoption or fostering.

This is an intervention that looks to the long term and stems from the realisation that, with the transition to the contribution-based system now firmly established, future pensions will be significantly lower than in the past. In addition, the take-up rates for supplementary pensions, although steadily increasing, are still not in line with those in other systems, despite favourable tax treatment.