Disoccupazione per badanti

Protection in the event of dismissal: unemployment

Before delving into the specifics, let’s say that for many years it was believed that the work performed by carers was an inexhaustible resource, as they covered the majority of the care needs of families in difficulty. Currently, due in part to the pervasive economic crisis, even the work of carers is going through difficult times, so much so that it is not uncommon for them to be fired . What can be done to obtain unemployment benefits for carers ? Just as for other categories of employed workers, domestic workers, housekeepers, and carers also have a form of protection in the event of job loss, to which they are fully entitled: the so-called unemployment benefit paid by the INPS (National Institute of Social Security ). The purpose of this benefit or unemployment benefit for carers is to provide financial support while they search for new employment; it is granted for a duration of 180 days, or 6 months . Only in cases where the worker is over 50 years of age can this benefit be extended for up to a maximum of nine months . In any case, once these terms have expired, unemployment benefits are no longer payable. Indeed, according to statistics, this period should be sufficient to search for new employment, although currently this is not always achieved within this timeframe, and increasingly, those who lose their job have great difficulty finding another.

Regular and reduced unemployment: what are the requirements?

Let’s now look at the procedure to follow to obtain unemployment benefits for caregivers and, above all, what type of unemployment benefit we’re talking about. In this regard, it’s important to know that there are two types of benefits : ordinary unemployment and reduced unemployment. In the first case, a worker ( in this case, the caregiver ) is entitled to ordinary unemployment if he or she has paid at least 52 weekly contributions over a two-year period and therefore has two years of insurance . However , those workers who, despite not having paid the 52 weekly contributions in the previous two years, have worked for at least 78 consecutive days and have two years of insurance against involuntary unemployment are entitled to apply for reduced unemployment. If we’re talking about a non-EU caregiver , she or he will be entitled to apply for unemployment benefits for caregivers only if her or his employment contract is not seasonal and if it’s not a vertical part-time job. Another important requirement for obtaining unemployment benefits for carers is that the interruption of employment must occur due to dismissal suffered by the carer and not due to voluntary resignation , with the exception of working women on maternity leave. However, if the unemployed carer, following such dismissal, emigrates abroad, or to countries outside the European Union, then she will lose her right to unemployment benefits.

How to file for unemployment

To whom should the unemployment benefit application be submitted? First of all, it’s always a good idea to check that you meet the requirements listed above before submitting your application, which must be forwarded to INPS . The application deadline is 7 days from the date of dismissal, and in any case within 68 days of that date, and the benefit will then be paid starting from the 8th day. Workers wishing to apply for unemployment benefit for caregivers must appear in person at the INPS office, attaching the following documents to their application :

1. Unemployment declaration , where you declare under your own responsibility that you have been fired and that you have applied to the Employment Center for a new job;
2. Self-certification declaring the last employment relationship;
3. Declaration for requested tax deductions.

As for the amount of the benefit, referring to ordinary unemployment, it corresponds to 40% of the salary received in the last three months, preceding the date of dismissal suffered by the carer.