After almost a year of waiting, the new psychologist bonus has been approved: This is financial assistance allocated to those who want to attend psychotherapy sessions. Minister of Health Orazio Schillaci signed the decree that also determines the distribution of funds. Let’s see how much money there is for a psychologist bonus, how much and how to get it.
Psychologist bonus is requested from INPS. It is the responsibility of the social security institution to determine the deadline for application (with at least 30 days’ notice for at least 2 months). The bonus must be used within 270 days after receiving it, otherwise the bonus will be forfeited.
The amount is recognized only once. Value varies by ISEE. The decree sets thresholds:
- Maximum ceiling of 1,500 euros (up to 50 euros per session) for incomes with an ISEE amount below 15 thousand euros;
- 1,000 euros for income between 15 thousand and 30 thousand euros with ISEE (up to 50 euros per session);
- 500 Euros (up to 50 Euros per session) for incomes with an ISEE over 30 thousand but below 50 thousand.
INPS will always sort by region, identifying beneficiaries based on the amount of resources.
The green light for the psychologist bonus has been long awaited – there were many applications such as Fedez’s, which collected over 300 thousand signatures to unblock it – and Minister Schillaci emphasized yesterday that “this is part of a more general intervention and that’s what we are doing in the region.” It is carried out through the mental health roundtable, which aims to strengthen structures and management services and spread the culture of mental health.”
Good intentions clash with numbers. However, it is not certain that everyone who requests a psychologist bonus will receive this bonus. Only 5 million has been allocated for this year (8 million in 2024); This amount is enough to guarantee the bonus to less than eight thousand Italians.
A low threshold. Imagine that in 2022, out of over 400 thousand requests, only 40 thousand were accepted; 25 million euros of this was available. Since only 5 million people were now available, this number was reduced by at least 5 times and we reached an estimated eight thousand actual beneficiaries. This figure can go even lower: previously you could get a maximum of 600 euros, now it is 1,500 euros. Therefore, there is a risk that resources will go to even fewer people.
There is therefore pressure in Parliament to increase the funding immediately. Licia Ronzulli, group leader of Forza Italia senators, suggested increasing this number to 15 million in 2023 and 40 million in 2024. The Democratic Party, on the other hand, targets 50 million in both years.
Looking at the current distribution of the fund, the largest share for 2023 goes to Lombardy, with 839,712 euros, which corresponds to 16.79% of the 5 million euros expected for this year. Lazio has the highest share with 481,585 euros, equivalent to 9.63% of total annual resources; Campania with 462,730 Euros (9.25%); Veneto 411,493 euros (8.23%); Sicily 403,874 Euros (8.08%); Emilia Romagna 376,629 Euros (7.53%); Piedmont 366,545 euros (7.33%); Puglia 330,538 Euros (6.61%); Tuscany 316,306 euros (6.33%).
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Source: Today IT
Roy Brown is a renowned economist and author at The Nation View. He has a deep understanding of the global economy and its intricacies. He writes about a wide range of economic topics, including monetary policy, fiscal policy, international trade, and labor markets.
