Pensions, hypotheses for the manoeuvre: from Quota 41 to severance pay in the funds

Confirmation for the Ape sociale and for Opzione donna. While Quota 103 could be replaced by Quota 41, with the entirely contributory recalculation if the trend of very low adhesion to the measure after last year's squeeze is confirmed. In the manoeuvre on social security, only small adjustments could arrive after the indications coming in on the reduction of exits. On the other hand, there could be an intervention on the complementary social security front, urged by the Undersecretary for Labour Claudio Durigon, to make it compulsory to pay a portion of the severance pay into the funds and to make the second pillar cumulative with the first for leaving work in the case of a contributory pension. And on the exit flexibility front, the hypothesis of possible incentives to reward those who remain at work is being strengthened. Here are the hypotheses circulating in these hours.

The measure that allows workers in a disadvantaged situation (unemployed, care givers, with a disability of at least 74 per cent with at least 30 years of contributions or employed in heavy-duty activities with at least 36 years of contributions) to have an early retirement pension once they reach 63 years and five months of age should be confirmed. Certifications plummeted in the first quarter of 2024 (from over 4,000 in 2023 to just over 1,000) due to the increase in age and even with a possible increase in the coming months the measure is expected to be extended.

There was a collapse in successful applications in the first quarter with just 1,700 applications compared to over 5,300 in the first quarter of 2023. After the tightening of the requirements in 2023 (again, hardship situations count) in 2024 came a tightening of the age that brought the possibility of exit against 35 years of contributions to 61 years (it can be reduced by one year for each child up to a maximum of two years). To this must be added the moving window.

It is the workhorse of the League, which has now put forward the possibility of going into early retirement regardless of age by recalculating the entire cheque with the contributory system. While this would be financially sustainable in the long term, it would not be so in the short term, because pensions would have to be paid out immediately. But the discussion could be opened if there are indications that there is little interest on the part of pensioners (adhesions to quota 103 with the contribution-based recalculation appear very low, but the first new pensioners are leaving in August since the moving window has been lengthened). For pensioners under the mixed system, the loss would be about 15% of the cheque.

It is among the issues on the table. The aim would be to reward those who prolong their stay in the world of work with a re-edition of the so-called 'Maroni bonus' intended for those who decide to continue working and stop once they have accrued the right to an ordinary pension (67 years of age and at least 20 years of paid contributions), without therefore joining Quota 103 despite meeting the requirements.