After a long wait, the Ape social is finally a reality. On Monday 22 May, the prime minister, Paolo Gentiloni, signed the implementing decree on the new free pension advance, a welfare measure introduced by the government with the latest budget law.
Here is a brief guide on how the Ape social works, complete with the requirements, times and procedures for applying to INPS.
1. WHAT IS THE SOCIAL APE?
Unlike the market or voluntary Ape, which requires you to take out a loan with bank interest and an insurance premium, the social Ape is entirely paid for by the State. It is a social shock absorber designed to accompany a small number of people in economic difficulty until retirement.
Its maximum duration is 3 years and 7 months, therefore, considering that from next year the retirement age will rise to 66 years and 7 months for everyone, the minimum age to access the Ape social is 63 years.
The measure is of an experimental nature and to know its fate we will have to wait at least for the next budget law.
2. WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS?
The social Ape shares two basic requirements with the voluntary one:
– at least 63 years of age;
– accrual of the old-age pension requirements within 3 years and 7 months following the start of the Ape.
But it's not over. To be eligible for the Ape social you must also fall into one of these four categories:
– unemployed without social shock absorbers and with at least 30 years of contributions;
– disabled people with a reduction in working capacity of at least 74% and with at least 30 years of contributions;
– people with at least 30 years of contributions who have been assisting their spouse or a first-degree relative cohabiting with a disability for at least six months;
– workers who have carried out "burdensome activities" for at least 6 of the last 7 years and have at least 36 years of contributions (nursing and midwifery professions; kindergarten teachers; carers; porters; goods movers; waste collectors, collectors and sorters of waste, unskilled cleaning personnel; mining, construction and building maintenance workers; operators of cranes and mobile construction drilling machinery; drivers of trucks and heavy vehicles; train conductors and traveling personnel; tanners of skins and furs).
Finally, the Ape social cannot be combined with other forms of income support for involuntary unemployment (Naspi, mini-Aspi, Asdi, and dis-col). On the other hand, it is permitted to receive an income from work, provided it remains within these limits:
– 8 thousand euros a year for income from employment or from coordinated and continuous collaboration;
– 4.800 euros per year for self-employment income.
3. WHEN CAN I APPLY?
The latest government provision clarified that applications for access to the social Ape must be forwarded to INPS respecting these deadlines:
– 15 July 2017 for those who meet the requirements by 31 December of this year (INPS will respond by 15 October);
– 31 March 2018 for those who meet the requirements by 31 December next year (INPS will respond by 30 June 2018).
The rule also specifies that "applications submitted after 15 July 2017 and 31 March 2018 and in any case no later than 30 November are taken into consideration only if the necessary financial resources remain at the end of the monitoring (see point 5, ed.) ”.
4. HOW MUCH IS THE CHECK?
As for the allowance, it is not subject to revaluation and is disbursed by INPS over 12 months. Its amount is equal to the monthly installment of the pension calculated at the time of access to the Ape social, but it cannot in any case exceed the maximum gross limit of 1.500 euros per month.
In other words:
– The Ape social amounts to the certified pension if this is less than 1.500 euros gross per month. The certified pension is the old-age treatment to which you will be entitled once the requirements have been met (ie when the shock absorber has completed its task) and is calculated at the time of the request from the Ape social.
– For all certified pensions exceeding this threshold, the monthly allowance from the Ape social stops at 1.500 euros gross.
The measure was supposed to become operational at the beginning of this month, therefore the State will also pay all the arrears from May to the first month of disbursement of the contribution to those who are entitled to it.
5. ARE THERE ANY SPENDING LIMITS FOR THE STATE?
Yes. The Ape social is recognized, upon request, within the annual spending limits established by the latest budget law. Here they are:
– 300 million euros for 2017 (the government expects around 35 requests);
– 609 million euros for 2018 (against another 20 applications expected);
– 647 million euros for 2019;
– 462 million euros for 2020;
– 280 million euros for 2021;
– 83 million euros for 2022;
– 8 million euros for 2023.
