Application for care allowance

The care allowance is an economic intervention, supplementary to the accompaniment allowance, aimed at favouring and supporting the permanence of non-self-sufficient persons in their home environment and supporting their families in the care burden.

The benefit is correlated to the extent of the need of the non-self-sufficient person to be guaranteed in a home and semi-residential setting.

How the care allowance is used

The care allowance is intended for the acquisition of care and/or rehabilitation services of the home or outpatient or semi-residential type.

These services may be provided through

• family assistants (so-called 'carers') hired with a regular contract;
• authorised and accredited bodies;
• family members such as spouses, cohabitants, relatives up to the 3rd degree and 1st and 2nd degree relatives-in-law;
• co-participation in the cost of public welfare services supporting home care.

Verification of the condition of non-self-sufficiency

The ascertainment of the condition of non-self-sufficiency is carried out through the Multidisciplinary Assessment Unit (UVM) of the health district competent for the territory.

The UVM, integrated by the medical examiner or forensic doctor, ascertains the person's condition of non-self-sufficiency and draws up the report, and draws up the care plan, after hearing the person and the family members. The Welfare Plan contains the following elements: assessment of the need; definition of the objectives; active services (health-social-social-welfare); services that can be provided; how the allowance can be used; verification of the results. It must be signed by the beneficiary or a family member.

Measure of the care allowance

The measure of the care allowance depends on the applicant's degree of non-self-sufficiency and on the family economic condition requirement (ICEF), as follows

In the event of a change in the level of severity, the amount of the allowance shall be recalculated from the 1st day of the month following the month in which the application was submitted.

Economic re-assessment

From 1 October to 28 February of each year following the year in which the application is submitted, the person concerned must submit an application for a re-assessment of financial status, failing which the care allowance will be withdrawn from 1 January of the following year.

Suspension of the allowance

The care allowance is suspended in the following cases

• Admission to hospital, hospice or any other socio-medical or socio-assistance residential facility for a consecutive period of more than 30 days, starting from the 31st;
• use by a family member of the beneficiary of the two-year paid leave at 100% pursuant to Article 42, Paragraph 5 of Legislative Decree no. 151/2001 for the care of persons in a serious situation, certified pursuant to Article 3, Paragraph 3 of Law no. 104/1992.

Non-self-sufficient persons who meet the following requirements may apply for the care allowance

1. residence in the Province of Trento for at least two years without interruption, except for minors, for whom the requirement must be possessed by the minor or by one of the two parents;
2. being already the holder of an accompaniment allowance as per Provincial Law no. 7/1998 (Disciplina degli interventi assistenziali in favore degli invalidi civili, dei ciechi civili e dei sordomuti) or of a similar benefit granted for continuous personal assistance, or having submitted, even at the same time, the relevant application
3. economic condition of the reference household(ICEF) equal to or lower than 0.32;
4. condition of non-self-sufficiency as ascertained by the UVM (Multidisciplinary Assessment Unit) of the health district competent for the territory.

The application may be submitted

by the non-self-sufficient person;

if the applicant is a minor, by one of the parents with whom the applicant resides, or by the person exercising parental authority;

if the applicant is interdicted or incapacitated, by the guardian or curator;

in the case of the appointment of a support administrator, by the same, provided that the relevant power has been conferred on him/her.

The application is to be submitted via patronage and social assistance institutions or peripheral counters in the Province.

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