If you are one of the many Italian citizens who have lost their jobs due to the economic crisis, you can find a temporary solution by taking advantage of the unemployment benefit - known as ASPI - provided by INPS. All workers who meet certain requirements are entitled to this financial support: if you want to know which ones, keep reading the article.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Meeting the Requirements
Step 1. Find out if your position is eligible for the benefit
Unemployment benefit is paid if and only if the worker who has lost his job is eligible to receive it.
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The service is due to employees with an employment relationship, including:
- Apprentices
- Working members of cooperatives with an employment relationship
- Artistic staff with a subordinate employment relationship
- Fixed-term employees of Public Administrations
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The performance Not it's up to:
- Permanent employees of Public Administrations
- Fixed-term and permanent agricultural workers
- Non-EU workers with a residence permit for seasonal work, for which reference is made to the specific legislation
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A fundamental condition is also that of the "state of involuntary unemployment". The indemnity is not due in the event that the employment relationship is terminated following voluntary resignation or consensual termination. Furthermore, the worker has the right to indemnity in the event of resignation during maternity (resignation for just cause) or in the event of termination of the relationship following a transfer to a place of work considerably distant from his / her home.
Qualify for Unemployment Step 4
Step 2. Meet the contribution requirements
In addition to belonging to one of the aforementioned work categories and the state of involuntary unemployment, the worker who has lost his job must also meet certain contribution parameters.
- At least two years must have passed since the payment of the first contribution you paid; the two-year reference period is calculated by proceeding backwards from the first day of unemployment.
- You must have paid at least one year of contributions in the two years preceding the start of the unemployment period. By useful contribution we also mean that due but not paid. Valid for the purposes of the subsidy are all paid weeks as long as, for each of them, the salary paid or due is not less than the weekly minimums.
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For the purposes of completing the contribution requirement, the following are considered useful:
- Social security contributions paid during the employment relationship
- Contributions credited during the period of maternity if, at the beginning of the abstention, contributions have already been paid, and the periods of parental leave provided that they are regularly compensated and occurred in a continuous work situation
- The periods of work abroad in countries belonging to the EU or with agreements where there is the possibility of aggregation
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Abstention from work for periods of illness of children up to 8 years of age within the limit of five working days in the calendar year.
Qualify for Unemployment Step 5
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On the other hand, the following periods are not considered useful, even if covered by notional contributions:
- Illness and accident at work only if there is no integration of the remuneration by the employer, in compliance with the minimum salary
- Extraordinary and ordinary layoffs with suspension of activity for zero hours
- Absences for permits and leave taken by the cohabiting spouse, parent, cohabiting child, cohabiting brothers or sisters of a disabled person in a serious situation
Part 2 of 3: Submit the Application
Qualify for Unemployment Step 6 Step 1. Contact your local Employment Center
Go to the Employment Center in your area providing a declaration certifying the previous work activity and the immediate availability to carry out the work activity.
Qualify for Unemployment Step 7 Step 2. Prepare to provide details about your previous employment
Employees of the Employment Center will want to know exactly the information regarding the job you just lost: job title, name and address of the place of work, period of employment, etc.
Make sure the information you provide is completely accurate
Step 3. Apply to INPS
After going to the Employment Center, submit your application for unemployment benefit to INPS. The request must be sent exclusively electronically through one of the following channels:
- Web: access the Institute's portal and follow the instructions on the site
- Contact Center: if you call from a landline phone, dial the free number 803164, otherwise - in the case of a call from a mobile network - contact the number 06164164 (for a fee according to the rate of your telephone operator)
- Patronates / intermediaries of the Institute: uses the telematic services offered by the same with the support of the Institute
Qualify for Unemployment Step 9 Step 4. Submit your application within the time limit
The application must be received within 60 days from the start date of the indemnifiable period identified as follows:
- Eighth day following the date of termination of the last employment relationship
- Date of settlement of the trade union dispute or date of notification of the judicial sentence
- Date of re-acquisition of work capacity in the event of illness or injury occurring within eight days of the termination of the employment relationship
- Eighth day from the end of the current maternity period to the time of termination of the employment relationship
- Eighth day from the date of the end of the period corresponding to the indemnity for non-notice, broken down by days
- Thirty-eighth day following the date of termination for dismissal for just cause
Qualify for Unemployment Step 8 Step 5. Show that you are actively looking for work
Be seen often at the Employment Center asking if there is the possibility of seizing any job opportunities. This will show that you deserve your subsidy (which will stop being paid in the event of a new job).
Part 3 of 3: Compensation Amount and Effective Date
Step 1. Find out when you will start receiving your benefit
The ASPI unemployment benefit is paid on a monthly basis, with effect from:
- From the eighth day following the date of termination of the employment relationship, if the application is submitted within the eighth day
- From the day following that of submission of the application, in the event that it was submitted after the eighth day
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From the date of issue of the declaration of immediate availability to carry out work if this has not been presented to the INPS but to the employment center and is subsequent to the submission of the application
Qualify for Unemployment Step 10
Step 2. Calculate the financial support you will receive
Also in this case the parameters to consider are different. The amount of the benefit, however, cannot exceed a maximum limit identified annually by law. The amount of the indemnity, therefore, is equal to:
- 75% of the average monthly salary taxable for social security purposes for the last two years, if this is equal to or less than an amount established by law and revalued annually based on the variation of the ISTAT index
- 75% of the established amount (equal to € 1.192, 98 for 2014) plus 25% of the difference between the average monthly salary and € 1.192, 98 (for the year 2014), if the average monthly taxable salary is higher than the aforementioned established amount.
- The subsidy can be collected by crediting a bank or postal current account, or by bank transfer to the Italian Post Office. After the first six months of use, a reduction of 15% will be applied to the monthly allowance, which will become 30% after another six months.
Step 3. Take into consideration the causes that can interrupt the disbursement of the financial contribution
The allowance can be withdrawn in the following cases:
- Loss of unemployment status
- Re-employment with a subordinate employment contract of more than 6 months
- Start of self-employment without notifying INPS
- Old age or early retirement
- Ordinary disability allowance, if you do not opt for the allowance
- Refusal to participate, without justified reason, in an active political initiative (training activities, internships, etc.) or non-regular participation
- Failure to accept a job offer whose salary level is at least 20% higher than the gross amount of the allowance.
