Between announcements and operational unknowns, the new contribution for separated parents takes shape: who will be able to get it, how much it is worth and why the times remain uncertain
Between announcements, resources already allocated and issues still to be resolved, the home bonus for separated parents is approaching, but is not yet operational. Here’s what we really know to date, how it could work and what the realistic timeframes are.
Separated parents’ house bonus: what it is and how it should work
The underlying idea is simple: to financially support separated or divorced parents who, after the end of cohabitation, leave the family home and have to pay a second housing cost. An increasingly frequent situation, especially in large urban centers, where rents and mortgages significantly impact incomes. Minister Matteo Salvini’s announcement talks about a monthly contribution of between 400 and 500 euros, paid for a maximum of one year. The declared objective is to guarantee a temporary solution, useful for covering the most critical phase following the separation, when a new arrangement must be found. The measure would have a three-year duration, from 2026 to 2028, with one total allocation of approximately 60 million euros. Translated, this means approximately 15 thousand beneficiaries over the three years.
Who will be able to request the home bonus for separated parents: requirements and audience
The most concrete indications regarding the requirements come from the 2026 Budget Law, which established the dedicated fund. The bonus should be intended for separated or divorced parents who are not assignees of the family home and who have one or more dependent children under 21 years of age. It is therefore, essentially, the parent who leaves the home where the children remain. What about the other requirements? It is highly probable that the implementing decree will introduce limits linked to income or ISEEto narrow the audience and make the measure sustainable. Nor is the introduction of conditions linked to the family situation excluded. Another element to clarify concerns the body that will physically provide the contribution: among the most plausible hypotheses is INPS, but at the moment there is no official confirmation.
Home bonus for separated parents: timing and process
Another issue to resolve is that of timing. The bonus is already included on the card, but is not yet operational. To start, you need the ministerial decree which will define the criteria and methods and then the application circulars. The Ministry of Infrastructure has announced that the provision is “being defined” and that tenders are being worked on. There are no deadlines or dates, but it seems that the green light is possible in the next few months. Some sources speak of a start before the summer, others postpone it to the autumn.
Beyond the political announcement of the last few days, the house bonus for separated parents raises several questions. The main one concerns resources: 60 million in three years means 20 million per year and if the figure of 400/500 euros per month is confirmed it means up to 6 thousand euros per year per beneficiary. When making calculations, therefore, the audience must necessarily be narrowed down. This makes the introduction of stringent selection criteria almost inevitable, with the risk that many nuclei will remain excluded. Then there is the issue of effectiveness: a contribution of 400-500 euros per month certainly makes a difference in the short term, but in the long term?
