Psychologist bonus, 2025 window closed: incentive only to 7,000 out of 360,000 applications

The 2025 window to apply for the 'psychologist bonus' has just closed: in two months, from 15 September to the 14 November stop, 360,000 applications arrived for just 7,000 eligible applicants, based on the Isee, which is the guiding criterion for the disbursement of this measure put in place during the pandemic precisely to tackle the spread of anxiety and depression disorders. In the field, between 2024 and 2025, there was a total of EUR 21.5 million, intended for citizens with a valid Isee not exceeding EUR 50,000. For 2025 alone, the resources amount to 9.5 million.

The psychologist bonus is dedicated to people with anxiety, stress, depression and psychological fragility and who wish to benefit from psychotherapy sessions. But as they remind from the Inps, to which the applications have arrived en masse, subject to the obligation to submit exclusively in telematic mode, the request for the benefit does not require a prescription from the general practitioner as well as the specialist, The bonus is in fact reserved for people resident in Italy and with Isee up to 50 thousand euro: for them there are reimbursements of up to 50 euro per session for a maximum amount of 1,500 euro, with contributions scaled up as the certified income increases. Interested parties are advised to hurry up: with the same Isee value, the order in which applications are submitted counts for access.

Now that the window period for sending in applications has ended, the Institute itself will draw upthe rankings for the allocation of the total 9.5 million set aside for 2025. A sum that will be enough for a little more than 6,300 applicants if, as has happened in previous years, the request will be among those with the lowest Isee to reach the maximum amount. Those admitted will be notified by text message or e-mail of the amount of the contribution and a unique code, data to be given for each psychotherapy session to the professional chosen from among the private specialists who have joined the initiative, registered in the psychotherapists' list in the Register of Psychologists. But be careful because the timeframe is not unlimited: from the publication of the rankings the beneficiaries will have nine months to make use of the contribution and from this year those who have not carried out at least one session within 60 days from the date of notification of acceptance of the application will automatically forfeit the benefit by sliding down the rankings. The beneficiaries will have nine months to make use of the contribution

Thethe impasse recorded, at least at the opening of the windows in access to the Inps portal, for the submission of applications is destined to be resolved: at least so promises the next budget manoeuvre, which in the stamped text provides that "from the year 2026, in order to ensure an effective updating of the management, disbursement and monitoring of the contribution" 200 thousand euro per year will be allocated with which the Inps will be able to adapt the IT platform, simplify the procedures for access to the bonus and the strengthening of user support activities.

Not only that, again as of 2026, the resources earmarked for the bonus will be transferred directly to the National Social Security Institute.