Italy presents first national draft law on informal carers, amid progress and remaining challenges

Article by Marta Osilo

A significant step has been taken in Italy towards the recognition of informal carers. Bill No. 134, titled “Provisions for the recognition and support of family carers”, has been tabled in Parliament with the aim of introducing, for the first time, comprehensive legislation to protect carers.

It is estimated that there are around 7 million informal carers in Italy, who represent a fundamental pillar of the social and healthcare system. Most of the Italian carers are woman (around 75%), often mothers, wives and daughters who find themselves balancing work, private life and caregiving, with a commitment ranging from 15 to 90 hours per week.

The legislative initiative is also part of the international commitments undertaken by Italy, which began with the ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2006.  The drafting of a single text, aimed at overcoming the existing fragmentation of legislation at regional level, began in January 2024. The draft bill was subsequently presented in February 2026 and is now under discussion by the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate.

The bill introduces a unified definition of a family carer, as

An adult who assists and cares for a child or another relative up to the second degree of kinship, a spouse, a civil partner or a cohabiting partner within the meaning of Law No. 76 of 20 May 2016, a relative by marriage up to the second degree, or, in the cases specified in Article 33 paragraph 3 of Law No. 104/1992 a relative up to the third degree.

Among the main proposed measures are a series of safeguards differentiated according to the care burden, with the possibility of accessing financial support for carers with particularly high care commitments (91 hours per week). There is also provision for formal recognition of the carer status via a dedicated platform of the National Social Security Institute (INPS), which will be active from September 2026.

Measures to support work-life balance are also proposed, including the option to switch from full-time to part-time working hours and to request teleworking. Skills acquired through caregiving experience are also formally recognised: these will be useful for (re)entering the workforce and may also be taken into account in school and university contexts. For student carers, there are also provisions for university fee exemptions and the option to request flexibility in their study programmes, according to the Universities’ rules.

Despite the value of some of the proposed measure, civil society organisations, including Cittadinanzattiva and Carer ETS, have highlighted critical aspects in the text, proposing amendments for improvement during parliamentary hearings.

Loredana Ligabue, Secretary General of Carer ETS stated:

The government bill essentially focuses on a minimum financial contribution for live-in carers who provide more than 91 hours of care per week and meet poverty-level income requirements. It is highly discriminatory against non-cohabitating carers and completely lacks any real support for work-life balance. The bill’s structure needs to be fully revised. We hope that parliamentary activity will proceed in this direction.

The main issues concern:

• Cohabitation or proximity requirement: protection is limited to cohabiting carers or those living within 25 km, thereby excluding many family members who provide care from a distance.
• Family relationship requirement: the text does not recognise non-family carers, such as friends or neighbours, overlooking the increasingly widespread informal support networks and changing family structures.
• Exclusion of minors: the definition limits recognition to adults, rendering young carers invisible.
• Limited access to financial support: the allowance is subject to very restrictive criteria of providing at least 91 hours of care per week, and having an ISEE (Equivalent Economic Situation Indicator) not higher than 15,000 euros and an annual income below 3,000 euros. This significantly reduces the number of beneficiaries.

The Carer ETS and Cittadinanzattiva have also suggested a series of amendments to make the law more inclusive and effective:

• Revision of the definition of carer (Art. 2): to include minors and non-family relationships.
• Establishment of a dedicated fund for the regions (Art. 2-bis): to ensure support, training and respite services.
• Introduction of multidimensional indicators (Art 2, paragraph 5): to assess the care burden beyond a simple count of hours.
• Greater focus on the school environment (Art. 7): with awareness-raising and anti-stigma programmes aimed at preventing bullying of student carers.
• Strengthening of employment rights (Art. 8): ensuring grater flexibility in the organisation of work, with the possibility of modifying working arrangements or working hours.
• Protection of mental and physical well-being (Art. 12): to provide easier access to healthcare services and respite care.

The presentation of the draft bill represents an important step towards the recognition and valuing of informal carers in Italy. However, it is still far from establishing fully inclusive and sustainable LTC system.

It remains essential to continue working towards legislation that fully recognises the social and economic role of carers, overcoming current limitation and promoting a truly universal approach, in order to build a Europe that genuinely cares for those who care.