Who will receive the 80 euro fuel bonus?
How to claim the fuel bonus. 3
Are you still in time to request the Dedicated to You card? 4
Rising fuel prices have become a growing problem for many Italian families. To address this challenge, the Italian government is seeking ways to alleviate the pressure from the price increases affecting fuel and many other sectors. Among these, the Petrol Bonus will soon be available , a subsidy that families can spend on fuel purchases.
Following the “Dedicata a te” card —better known as the spending savings card —the government is developing another subsidy to help low-income families cope with rising gasoline costs. Just like the aforementioned card, the 2023 Gasoline Bonus will also provide a one-time contribution to families: a bonus of €80 . In this article, we’ll cover all the details of this support tool: what it is, who it’s for, and how to receive it.
Regulatory framework
On September 25, the Council of Ministers approved the Decree regulating “urgent measures regarding energy, water emergencies, social and industrial policies.” In line with the 2022 Aid Decree, this new Legislative Decree, conventionally called the Aid Decree Bis, implements a series of measures to counter the effects of the international economic crisis on businesses and families.
The Aid Decree Bis contains various types of measures: the strengthening of the social bonus for electricity and gas, a reduction in VAT in the gas sector for the fourth quarter of 2023, resources for agricultural businesses affected by drought, and others. The Decree therefore supports both businesses and individuals with ad hoc measures. Among the measures aimed at individuals, some are designed to provide support to low-income families . Among these is the gasoline bonus, also known as the fuel bonus .
It is essential to clarify that the Aid Decree Bis did not introduce a new measure, but updated an existing one: the one known as the “ shopping savings bonus ” through which low-income families received a prepaid card ( the Dedicated to You card ) to cover daily expenses, given the rising prices of consumer goods, including food.
The Decree has therefore refinanced the “Dedicated to you” card with an additional €100 million for 2023, which can also be used to purchase fuel.
This refinancing is essential to ensure that low-income families can more easily afford fuel and transportation costs.
After many hypotheses and anticipations, with the publication of the Decree, we finally know with certainty all the details of this additional measure to support large families with low incomes.
What is the Fuel Bonus?
The Fuel Bonus represents a direct response to the rising price of fuel and is configured, as we mentioned, as a one-off contribution of approximately 80 euros to be spent exclusively on the purchase of fuel .
Those eligible will therefore receive 80 euros to spend on fuel one time, starting October 1, 2023. The contribution is expected to begin being paid out within a month of the Decree’s approval: therefore, by the end of October, low-income families should begin receiving the 80 euros (approximately) on their “Dedicata a te” card.
Who will receive the €80 fuel bonus?
It’s important to understand who will be eligible to receive the 2023 Gasoline Bonus. Rather than representing a new initiative, the September 25 decree extends and enhances an existing benefit, the grocery savings bonus, which provided a contribution of approximately €380 paid via a prepaid card to be used for food and similar items.
The families who will receive the 80 euro fuel bonus will therefore be the same ones who have already used or are using the Dedicata a Te card .
The Dedicata a Te card is reserved for families of at least three people with an ISEE of less than €15,000 . The €380 grant is then prioritized based on the number of children in the family and their ages.
However, families in which at least one member receives the following cannot receive the shopping savings bonus:
- mobility allowance
- wage supplementation fund
- solidarity funds for income integration
- NASPI or DIS-COLL
These criteria are the same as those for the fuel bonus. Unfortunately, this also means that families who were excluded from the grocery savings bonus will not be able to hope to receive the fuel bonus either, as they are excluded from it a priori.
How to claim the fuel bonus
The Gasoline Bonus does not require any explicit request from the citizen. Since it enhances an existing measure, the contribution will be paid automatically . In a very simple way, families who already have the “Dedicata a Te” card will see an additional €80 credited to their card . The amount received as a credit to the family’s existing card can be used exclusively for the purchase of fuel .
The fuel bonus not only credits an additional €80 to your Dedicata a te prepaid card, but also makes an important change. Until now, the grocery savings bonus only allowed you to purchase groceries ; the €380 credit could not be used to purchase fuel.
With the measure provided for by the Aid Decree Bis, from October onwards the Dedicata a te card will also become eligible for the purchase of fuel.
Is there still time to request the Dedicated to You card?
Many citizens interested in the fuel bonus are wondering whether it’s still possible to apply for the “Dedicata a te” card to receive both the shopping bonus and the fuel bonus. It should be clarified that it’s not possible to apply for the Dedicata a te card and thus receive the fuel bonus.
The grocery savings bonus, in fact, has never been explicitly requested by citizens. The process for identifying those eligible was different: INPS automatically identified households with at least three members and a low income (less than €15,000) among those who submitted the Single Substitute Declaration for 2023. Citizens who met the requirements were informed via an official communication and were able to collect the prepaid card directly from the post office.
However, the selection process for eligible applicants ended in May 2023. Furthermore, card recipients had until September 15, 2023, to make their first purchase (those who didn’t make their first purchase by this date lost their entire prepaid card credit). All this means that, even by uploading a pre-filled DSU or ISEE on the INPS website, it is no longer possible to access the grocery savings bonus and the fuel bonus.
Conclusion
The 2023 Gasoline Bonus represents an important tool to help low-income Italian families cope with rising fuel costs. Its automatic implementation, without the need for an explicit request, has its pros and cons : on the one hand, it significantly simplifies the process for beneficiaries, who will begin receiving the €80 contribution automatically via their Dedicata a Te card starting in October. On the other hand, however, it excludes all families who, despite being impacted by rising gasoline and fuel prices, were unable to access the grocery savings bonus.
The measure was designed specifically to provide financial support where it’s most needed, helping only families experiencing serious financial hardship. We all realize, however, that the increase in gasoline prices is putting a greater number of families in difficulty. The government may introduce other measures to address these difficulties: we’ll keep you updated on this website if there are any developments.
