Will Self-Employed Mothers Be Eligible for the 2025 Baby Bonus?

Will the 2025 Maternity Bonus Include Self-Employed Workers?

The 2025 Maternity Bonus is set to expand its reach.
In recent years, the government has implemented various measures aimed at supporting the income of workers and families.
However, aside from the Universal Allowance, which provides aid to families with children, self-employed individuals have not enjoyed the same level of financial support as salaried workers.

While employed workers with qualifying income can benefit from measures such as the tax wedge reduction and the former Renzi Bonus, the government under Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni aims to ensure that the Maternity Bonus becomes accessible to self-employed women by 2025.

Maternity Bonus for Self-Employed Workers?

The current administration’s primary focus, in addition to assisting employed workers, is to protect family welfare and encourage higher birth rates.
The Maternity Bonus was initially introduced this year as part of this initiative.

The goal moving forward is not only to extend the existing bonus for working mothers with two children into 2025 but also to include self-employed women who have children.

Before the official plan is presented, two critical steps are necessary: the political alignment to prioritize work and family, and securing financial coverage.

Securing Financial Coverage

A pressing concern lies in obtaining the necessary funding, which will also be addressed in the Structural Budget Plan.
This will establish the fiscal adjustments needed for the next seven years, amounting to approximately €10 billion annually.

The process for the budget plan has changed, eliminating the previous updates like the Nadef.
The new document will outline strategies for the upcoming seven years, with annual revisions possible.

Given the current economic situation, there is limited room for maneuvering, but, as Finance Minister Giorgetti assures, this will not result in a “painful” budget strategy, due to expected increases in revenue.
However, it is estimated that about €23 billion will be needed just to maintain tax cuts.

Potential Changes to the Maternity Bonus in 2025

The executive plans to renew the Maternity Bonus for employees with two children, which expires on December 31, 2024, and to extend this provision to include self-employed women.

It is possible that additional benefits for self-employed individuals might be considered, maintaining the overarching aim to support families and boost birth rates.
Though predicting exact changes is challenging without an official draft, it is reasonable to assume that requirements for self-employed women may mirror those set for employees, concerning the number and ages of children.