From ticket exemption to the Rai license fee, passing through Tari, postal bills and telephone rates: here are all the benefits for the over 65s that can reduce their pension and fixed expenses in 2026
There is a segment of Italians who continue to pay taxes, commissions and costs every month that, at least in part, they could avoid. Not for evasion, not for shortcuts, but simply because the law allows it. The problem is that many of these benefits do not come automatically: you have to know about them, request them and often deal with bureaucracy which for many pensioners becomes almost an invisible obstacle. And so thousands of over 65s continue to pay health copays, fees, local taxes and commissions without knowing that there are exemptions or reductions already provided for by the system.
In an Italy where the cost of living continues to compress the purchasing power of pensions, these measures can be transformed into concrete help. We are not talking about one-off bonuses or extraordinary contributions, but about fixed expenses that can steadily decrease month after month.
Health ticket: who is entitled to the E01 exemption
One of the most important benefits concerns public health. In fact, for those over 65 with low incomes there is a ticket exemption identified by the code E01, which allows them not to pay for specialist visits and diagnostic tests.
The benefit applies to citizens over 65 years of age belonging to families with a total income not exceeding 36,151.98 euros per year. However, it is important to clarify an aspect that often generates confusion: the exemption concerns exclusively the person who meets the age requirement. If younger people live in the same family unit, they will continue to pay the healthcare copay as normal.
In many Regions, recognition occurs automatically through the matching of tax data between the Revenue Agency and the healthcare system, but not always. For this reason it is advisable to check your position at the relevant local health authority, avoiding continuing to pay for services that could be free.
First aid and white codes: when you don’t pay
Even the emergency room can become an avoidable expense item. In several Italian territories the so-called “white code” – i.e. accesses deemed non-urgent – involves a financial contribution of up to 25 euros.
Many Regions, however, extend free admission to over 65s with E01 exemption in these cases too. An important protection especially for elderly people who need frequent checks or sudden healthcare access.
Free Rai license fee after the age of 75: the requirements
The Rai license fee continues to be among the most hated expenses by Italians, but not everyone knows that after the age of 75 it can be completely eliminated.
The total exemption is provided for those who have reached the age of 75, have an annual family income of no more than 8,000 euros and live exclusively with their spouse or with domestic workers such as housekeepers and carers.
Here the most important detail comes into play: the benefit is not automatic. A substitute declaration is needed to be sent to the Revenue Agency.
To obtain the full annual exemption, the application must be submitted by January 31st. Anyone who turns 75 within the first half of the year can instead request exemption for the second half of the year by sending the documentation by June 30th.
Once accepted, the request does not need to be resubmitted every year, unless there are changes in income or family conditions.
Tari: hidden discounts Municipality by Municipality
On the waste tax front, there is no national rule valid for everyone. The Tari in fact depends on municipal regulations and for this reason the differences between cities can be enormous.
Many Municipalities provide specific reductions for those over 65 or over 70, for single pensioners, for families with low ISEE or for frail and disabled people. In some cases the discount is partial, in others it can reach up to total exemption.
The problem is that these measures often remain little known and must be requested directly from the Tax Office of the municipality of residence.
Poste Italiane: cheaper bulletins for the over 70s
Postal commissions can also decrease after age 70. Poste Italiane applies discounted rates on paper slips and on some payment transactions.
The reduction can significantly lower the cost of commissions, but there is a fundamental detail: the discount is not recognized automatically. You must declare your age at the counter or update the digital profile associated with postal services.
An apparently minimal difference – one euro here, one euro there – which however, over the course of a year, can lighten daily expenses especially for those who live exclusively on a pension.
Concessionary telephone rates: senior offers often ignored
Then there is the chapter on telephone and digital concessions. The AGCOM provisions in fact provide offers dedicated to categories considered more economically fragile, including many elderly people with low incomes.
In recent years, several operators have introduced “Senior” or “Silver” packages which include discounts on the landline, subsidized internet, unlimited calls and simplified mobile offers.
A topic that today weighs much more than you think. For many elderly people, internet connection is no longer a luxury, but a necessary tool for medical bookings, SPID, INPS services and contact with children and family.
The real problem? Many benefits do not come by themselves
The central point remains one: almost none of these benefits are activated automatically. And this is where many retirees lose money without realizing it.
The difference between knowing or ignoring these measures can have a concrete impact on the family budget, especially in a historical phase in which bills, medicines and daily expenses continue to rise faster than pension checks.
This is why more and more families are starting to control not only the pensions of elderly parents, but also all those small expense items which, added together, can turn into hundreds of euros saved every year.
