Those who work in Italy and have children living abroad are now entitled to benefits.

Italy has changed the rules of Unique universal cheque (a type of family allowance)The main family benefit in the country has been reinstated, and access has been expanded to workers who are citizens of European Union countries. With Law 50/2026, two requirements that excluded thousands of families have been dropped: the mandatory two-year residency requirement in Italy and the need for the child to live in Italian territory for the benefit to be paid.

In practice, a European worker arriving in Italy for the first time and registering with the social security system is already entitled to... Single Check from the first month of activity, whether as an employee or self-employed.

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What changes with the new law

The changes were introduced through a government amendment during the conversion of Decree-Law No. 19/2026, known as the PNRR Decree. The stated objective was to avoid a trial in the Court of Justice of the European Union in case C-630/24, brought by the European Commission against Italy on the grounds that the previous rules contravened European directives on the free movement and exportability of family benefits.

O congressperson Fabio Porta[Name], from the Democratic Party and elected from abroad, was one of the main critics of the previous rule. "This correction does not stem from a spontaneous political initiative of the Government, but from the need to avoid a European condemnation," he stated. "Only under pressure from the European Union was the Executive forced to intervene to correct a regulatory distortion that penalized workers, pensioners, and families fiscally linked to Italy for three years," the parliamentarian added.

What is still open

The change, however, does not resolve all situations. Porta warned that the issue of Italian citizens residing outside the European Union remains open, as does the full reinstatement of deductions for dependent children and family allowances for taxpayers fiscally linked to Italy.

“The battle is not over. We will continue working in Parliament to ensure that no Italian worker who contributes to the country's tax and social security system is discriminated against based on the residence of their family members,” Porta concluded.