BOLZANO. The Province is negotiating with INPS to integrate the minimum pensions of less well-off South Tyroleans. The president made the announcement yesterday Arno Kompatscherin Trento, on the sidelines of the presentation of the regional data of the National Social Security Institute regarding 2023. Confirmed by the INPS director of Trentino Alto Adige, Vittorio Feliciani. Now we will have to find the technical framework: how precisely to deliver, and exactly to whom. Because even limiting the audience will not be easy at all. But social councilor Rosmarie Pamer estimates its size at around 16,000 over 65s. These are the numbers discussed by the council before starting negotiations with INPS.
It all started with a motion to stem poverty among the elderly, presented last March by Andreas Head Reber (Free Group) e Ulli Mair (Freiheitlichen), appropriately amended and then approved by the provincial council. Basically, the provincial government was asked to find an agreement with the INPS and the competent ministries, to integrate the pensions of South Tyroleans with funds from the provincial budget until reaching the overall minimum amount of 1,000 euros net per month (today the so-called minimum exceeds 600 euros is nothing).
It was also requested that the integration, financed by the Province within the prerogatives of the Autonomy, not be calculated as income for tax purposes. A fact that would have weakened the attempt to meet the thousands of stranded pensioners, in a province where the cost of living is hitting ever harder. Yesterday in Trento the South Tyrolean governor confirmed that work is being done in this direction: negotiations are underway with INPS to be able to integrate minimum pensions.
The director of the Institute, Feliciani, confirms this: «In recent weeks we have been finalizing the agreement. The Province of Bolzano intends to give this support to those with a low ISEE and the lowest pension, all within the limits that we will now define”. The INPS, continues the regional director, «is in favor of finding an agreement, which will be of a technical nature, essentially everything still to be filled. We must define the contents and the path to follow.” Among the objectives, he further clarifies, “that of evaluating, of studying how to avoid taxation”. In other words, the tax authorities will take back part of what is integrated by the Province, reducing the benefit.
To avoid rainy financing, it will naturally also be necessary to precisely define the group of those entitled to it, because those who are entitled to the minimum amount do not necessarily receive other income. «Ad hoc provincial aid already exists, such as the contribution for ancillary expenses for the elderly», explains the provincial social councilor, Rosmarie Pamer. In fact, elderly people with a minimum pension who live alone, are 65 or more years old, have income from pensions that do not exceed the annual amount of 10,000 euros net and do not have any other significant assets other than their own home or home, can in fact be granted an increased contribution for ancillary costs, such as electricity, heating, water, etc.
«But we realized that only a few apply, only a few hundred», says Pamer. «Already during the discussion of the motion in the provincial council in March – continues the provincial social councilor – we said: we want to try to speak with the INPS to see if there is the possibility that, if we give something more, it State on the other side don’t take it. We then also talked about it to the council and we decided to give it a try. It will certainly be difficult, in reality we have been trying for ten years, but this time we hope to succeed. It would be important, indeed, it is a necessary step. We are talking about approximately sixteen thousand needy pensioners. For us this is a very important objective.”
2024-09-30 03:05:40