Ape sociale, the Inps' indications for 2026 on deadlines, requirements, and audience arrive

The Inps announces the reopening of the application for recognition of the conditions for access to the Ape sociale (message 128 of 14 January 2026). The deadlines for submitting applications are 31 March 2026, 15 July 2026 and, in any case, no later than 30 November 2026. The clarification by the social security agency comes after the publication in the Official Gazette of 30 December of the Budget Law 2026 (199/2025), which extended the Ape sociale the final deadline of the experimental period of this support to 31 December of this year with reference to certain cases, with an expenditure of 170 million for 2026, 320 million for 2027 and 315 million for 2028.

More specifically, the application in 2026 of the Ape sociale in the version envisaged by the Budget Law for 2025 has been confirmed (thus confirming the age requirement of 63 years and 5 months for access to the measure, for persons who are unemployed, care for a family member with a severe disability, reduced working capacity due to severe disability, and employees for heavy work as identified by the legislation). In addition, the application of certain simplification measures in accessing the application is also envisaged for persons who will find themselves in the conditions indicated by the regulations in force during 2026. The benefit cannot be accumulated with other employment or self-employment income, with the exception of that deriving from occasional self-employment, within the limit of 5,000 euro gross per year.

The application, explains Inps, can be submitted via the following channels: directly from the website www.inps.it, accessing via SPID (Sistema Pubblico di Identità Digitale) at least level 2, CNS (Carta Nazionale dei Servizi), CIE (Carta di identità elettronica) 3.0 or eIDAS, following the following path: "Pension and Welfare" > "Pension Application" > "Thematic Areas" > "Pension Application, Reconstitution, Accruals, Certifications, APE Sociale and Benefit precocious" > "Access to the thematic area" > "Certificates" > "Verification of the conditions for access to APE Sociale"; using the services offered by the Institutes of Patronage recognised by law. Finally, by calling the Multichannel Contact Centre at the toll-free number 803164 (free of charge from a landline) or the number 06164164 (from a mobile network, chargeable according to the tariff applied by the various operators).

In order to obtain the allowance, it is necessary for persons meeting the conditions indicated by the law to meet the following requirements at the time of application at least 63 years and 5 months of age; at least 30 years of contributory seniority; for workers performing the so-called burdensome activities, the minimum contributory seniority required is 36 years (i.e. at least 32 years for the categories of burdensome activities mentioned above). For the purposes of granting the allowance, the required contribution requirements are reduced, for women, by 12 months for each child, up to a maximum of two years; do not hold any direct pension. All those who have fulfilled the requirements in previous years and who have not submitted the relevant application may also apply. The allowance takes effect from the first day of the month following the submission of the application for access to the benefit, if all the requirements and conditions provided for by law are met at that date, subject to termination of employment.