Change of the decree on non-self-sufficiency, here are the novelties on active policies in favour of the elderly

A year after the implementing decree on non-self-sufficiency of the elderly, a corrective decree to Legislative Decree No. 29/2024 on policies for the elderly lands in the Council of Ministers for the final go-ahead, providing for a trial of the unified multidimensional assessment to define social-health needs and individual assistance projects (Pai). The corrective legislative decree aims to improve by: introducing a trial phase of the multidimensional assessment for the elderly; simplifying the procedures for access to social and health services; harmonising the assessment of the non-self-sufficiency of the elderly with that provided for persons with disabilities. The text was forwarded to the Unified Conference, which has already issued a favourable opinion with some requests for changes.

The experimentation, to be implemented in 2026 in one province per region, will serve to test the new procedures, correct any critical issues and harmonise them with those already in place for persons with disabilities. Terminological corrections will be made for greater regulatory consistency, and the deadline for adopting the implementing regulation will be extended from 12 to 18 months. The objective of the trial will be to evaluate the effectiveness of the new procedures and planned interventions; to acquire concrete data on the performance of the new interventions; and to identify critical issues and possible corrective actions before the nationwide implementation that comes into force on 1 January 2027.

The changes will affect Articles 6, 25 and 27 in particular. The terminological corrections to Article 6 provide for greater regulatory consistency, as it stipulates that the words 'social promotion centres' be removed as a 'term of doubtful clarity' as well as 'potentially misleading'. Following the corrections, in Article 25, there are updates concerning the third sector and voluntary associations. Finally, in Article 27, there is a request to extend the deadline for the adoption of the implementing regulation from 12 to 18 months.

The Social Affairs Committees of the House and Senate could be convened in the coming months to approve the final text. By 30 November 2025 there must be the adoption of the Ministerial Decree for the experimental phase in one province per region, which will start on 1 January 2026. The experimentation will last one year, at the end of this phase, on 1 January 2027, it will move to national implementation on the new procedures.