Nursery bonus 2024, new amounts, requirements and when to apply

The nursery bonus has been confirmed, and for some enhanced, for 2024: however at the moment it is not possible to apply for the contribution as the green light has not been received from INPS (for which there is a risk of have to wait a few weeks).
The 2024 Budget Law intervenes on the nursery bonus, with which the maximum amount of reimbursement is increased in the case of children following the first (but only if born this year).
As announced by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, the intention is to make nursery school free for second and subsequent children, an objective which is not achieved by the measure although it comes very close given the possibility of recovering an expense of up to 3,600 euros per year.
Everything, obviously, depends on the ISEE, which will have to be updated to 2024.
There is therefore no need to fear the fact that by going to the INPS website today it is not possible to send an application for the nursery bonus: the contribution is confirmed, however every year the The Institute is taking some time to update the application.
For example, in 2023 the green light only arrived in March.
For the moment you can move forward by applying for the ISEE, so as to be ready once it is possible to apply.
Also because it must be remembered that the contribution is paid until resources are exhausted; the risk, therefore, is of a freezing of new applications if the money were not enough, a scenario which however has never occurred in recent years (as governments have always authorized the injection of new liquidity to ensure that no one was excluded).
In the meantime, here is everything you need to know about the requirements, amounts and changes brought about by the measure.
Nursery bonus 2024 What it is and how it works The amounts The increase for children after the first Requirements How to apply INPS Nursery bonus, when it is lost What it is and how it works The nursery bonus is the measure that favors the inclusion of minors in the inside public and private nursery schools.
As? Simply by granting families who benefit from the nursery bonus, provided by INPS, a reimbursement of all or part of the expenses incurred for registration and monthly fees.
And as an alternative to the nursery bonus, it is possible to receive a reimbursement for forms of home care for children under 3 years of age suffering from serious chronic pathologies.
The amount of the reimbursement varies depending on the indicator of the economic situation of the family unit, the so-called ISEE.
The amounts The nursery bonus – or for those who have used forms of home care – provides a reimbursement of the sums spent.
The maximum amount of the reimbursement, as established by the 2020 Budget Law, varies depending on the value indicated by the ISEE for minors, as explained by the INPS in circular 27 of 14 February 2020.
The INPS message published on 24 February 2021 subsequently confirmed the amounts of the nursery bonus for both 2021 and the years to come (2024 included).
The values to take into account, therefore, are the following: 3,000 euros for families with an ISEE model worth up to 25,000 euros.
The maximum monthly amount that can be paid is 272.72 euros for 11 months; 2,500 euros for families with an ISEE model with a value between 25,001 and 40,000 euros.
In this case the maximum amount that can be paid per month is 227.27 euros; 1,500 euros for families with an ISEE model with a value exceeding 40,000 euros.
The maximum payable monthly is 136.37 euros.
We remind you that this is a reimbursement, ergo – as specified by the INPS on its website – "the monthly contribution paid by the Institute cannot exceed the expense incurred for the payment of the single fee".
The increase for children following the first As anticipated, the Budget law revises the aforementioned amounts, but only for children following the first as long as they were born from 2024 onwards.
Only those few parents who will send their children to nursery in the first months of life , therefore, they will be entitled to the increase as early as 2024: for all the others we will have to wait until 2025.
And not only that, because in addition to this – important – requirement, there is another: at least a child under the age of 10.
Well, for those who satisfy both of the aforementioned conditions, the new amount of the nursery bonus is: Isee minors up to 25,000 euros: 3,600 euros per year, 327.27 euros for 11 months; ISEE for minors between 25,001 and 40,000 euros: 3,100 euros per year, 281.81 for 11 months; ISEE for minors above 40,001 euros (or applications submitted without ISEE): 1,500 euros per year, 136.37 euros for 11 months.
For all others, the same thresholds applied in 2023 continue to apply.
Requirements A parent can apply for the nursery bonus: a stateless foreigner, political refugee or holder of international protection equivalent to an Italian citizen; Blue Card holder, “highly qualified worker”; worker from Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia for whom the Euro-Mediterranean agreements between the European Union and these countries provide for the general right to equal treatment with European citizens; self-employed worker holding a permit for whom inclusion among the potential beneficiaries is motivated by the fact that the law does not discriminate between self-employed and dependent work.
The important thing is that the application is made by the parent who bears the burden of paying the fee.
The nursery bonus is available to all new parents who meet the requirements, regardless of their ISEE.
Having requested the ISEE will therefore be important, but not essential.
In fact, those who do not have it will not be totally excluded from the benefit, but will receive the minimum recognized amount, equal to 1,500 euros.
Please remember that, unlike other family bonuses, the recognition of the nursery bonus is strictly linked to the months of registration: payment is made by INPS only after sending the documents certifying payment of the fee.
The receipts corresponding to the payments of the fees not presented at the time of the application must be attached by the end of the reference month and, in any case, no later than the year following the one to which the bonus refers (the exact month for the nursery bonus 2024 has not yet been made official).
It must be remembered that the nursery "premium" cannot be cumulated with the tax deductions for nursery attendance provided for by article 2, paragraph 6, of the law of 22 December 2008, and this applies regardless of the monthly payments received.
read also Isee minors: what it is and when it is needed How to apply for INPS While waiting for INPS to give the green light, let's remember what the correct procedure is for sending the nursery bonus application, with the relevant deadlines.
It is worth underlining that this procedure does not undergo any changes compared to last year.
To benefit from it, you must submit an application online via the INPS telematic channels, such as: Web: Telematic services accessible directly from your personal area; Integrated contact center: calling the INPS toll-free number; Patronage bodies through the services offered by them.
An important detail to indicate in the 2024 nursery bonus application concerns the months for which you intend to obtain reimbursement (if you subsequently wish to request reimbursement for monthly payments not indicated in the request, you will need to submit a new application).
In the INPS request form it will also be necessary to attach a document demonstrating payment of at least the first fee for the first month of attendance, or documentation (for public nursery schools only) certifying registration.
The documentation necessary to demonstrate payment of fees and enrollment in the nursery must be accompanied by some basic information, such as: the name and VAT number of the nursery; the tax code of the minor; the reference month; payment details; the name of the parent who bears the cost of the fee.
As anticipated, every month the documents relating to the expenses incurred for enrolling and attending nursery school must be sent to INPS; to do this you can use the specific function of the INPS Mobile app, as indicated by the Institute in message 4464 of 2018.
The monthly amount – which can be self-certified when attaching the invoice for which reimbursement is requested – must include the payment of the tuition and meals relating to the monthly rent and the stamp duty.
However, it must not include nursery school registration, before and after school care and VAT (with the exception of those nursery schools managed by a social cooperative).
The nursery bonus is also recognized for those children suffering from serious chronic pathologies who cannot attend nursery school.
In this case, the contribution of 1,500 and up to 3,000 euros is paid in a single solution and can be used to finance forms of support at home.
To request the contribution, you must attach the certificate issued by the pediatrician certifying the child's inability to attend nursery school for the entire reference year due to a serious chronic pathology.
The certificate must be attached with all the appropriate documentation.
Please remember that the deadline for the application was 31 December 2023 for fees relating to last year, while it is 31 December 2024 for frequencies in the current year.
However, there is time until 31 July 2024 to attach the documentation certifying the expense incurred for attending the nursery in 2023 and thus obtain the related reimbursement.
read also Nursery bonus, be careful not to make this mistake: what risks those who forget the attachments Nursery bonus, when it gets lost As anticipated, the applicant, after sending the application for the bonus, will subsequently have to attach the documentation relating to each monthly payment.
In this regard, at the same time the applicant is asked to confirm the invariance of the requirements with respect to what is declared in the application.
In this regard, the nursery bonus lapses in the event of loss of one of the requirements established by the judge.
For example, since the bonus is also due with foster care, it lapses in the event of a negative ruling from the judge which determines the termination of the pre-adoptive foster care.
In detail, INPS stops disbursement of the allowance starting from the month following actual knowledge of one of the following events: loss of citizenship; death of the requesting parent; forfeiture of the exercise of parental responsibility; exclusive custody of the minor to the parent who did not submit the application (custody of the minor to third parties).
Attention: it is however possible for a different person to take over the benefit, provided that the latter obviously meets the requirements.
For example, in the event of the unfortunate death of the mother requesting the bonus, the father can benefit from the bonus.
The important thing is to proceed within 90 days.