The Italian National Institute of Social Security (INPS) has shed light on the specifics of the Freedom Income program. This is an economic aid granted to women who have been victims of violence and find themselves in poverty, with or without children, and who are taken care of by anti-violence centers recognized by the Regions and social services. This important program, initiated on March 4, 2025, was the resulting collaboration between the Ministry for Family, Birth and Equal Opportunities, the Ministry of Labor and Social Policies, and the Ministry of Economy and Finance. It highlights the crucial role of inter-ministerial cooperation in combating gender violence.
The Freedom Income program provides a maximum financial support of 500 Euros per month for a period of 12 months to women affected by violence and monitored by recognized anti-violence centers and social services, whether or not they have children. This assistance is compatible with other support mechanisms such as the inclusion subsidy.
There is also a transitional scheme for women who couldn’t benefit from the program due to lack of funds, allowing them to reapply between March 5 and April 18, 2025. Applications must be submitted through the municipalities, which bear the responsibility to prioritize them over new requests. These local authorities have access to the online service on the INPS website where they can view and resubmit the rejected applications due to inadequate budget, after verifying the necessary requirements.
Upon resubmission of the application, the municipalities will provide a copy of the request, specifying the original number and the transmission date, so as to ensure traceability of the process. Later, women who meet the requirements may submit new applications using form “SR208”, available in the “Forms” section of the official INPS website.
From April 18, 2025, until December 31, 2025, all the women who meet the criteria established in the decree, including those who couldn’t reapply during the 45-day transitional period, may submit their applications. Starting 2026, applications can be submitted from January 1 to December 31 each year. The applications submitted by December 31 each year are accepted subject to the resources transferred to the INPS by the same date; those not accepted due to insufficiency of financial resources lapse.
