A card dedicated to you, when it arrives: the rules for the €500 bonus are changing.

The public machine, in its own time, has put the Charter dedicated to you back on track for 2025. After a long bureaucratic wait, here is the official stamp on the provision authorizing the disbursement of the 500 euro bonus , a one-time contribution that the State distributes to those in difficulty.

The measure, launched in 2023, remains within the existing scope but has been updated in its mechanisms and distribution. The implementing decree releases a €500 million fund. The sum will be divided among families residing in Italy with at least three members.

How to get the card dedicated to you

No hassle, no forms to fill out. Your card is assigned automatically, without the citizen having to apply. INPS retrieves the names from its databases and forwards the lists to the municipalities , which have 30 days to check if everything is correct or if any changes need to be made.

According to the official text, there are 1,157,179 potential beneficiaries . The cake will be divided according to criteria related to the number of inhabitants and the average income bracket of the area.

Family composition and the presence of minors also play a role in the selection process: priority will be given to families with at least three members, and in particular those with at least one child born before 2011 or, secondarily, before 2007.

Who is excluded from the benefit

Anyone who already receives some form of public financial assistance is excluded from the program. No card is available for those who:

• receives NASPI;
• benefits from Dis-coll;
• it is covered by the redundancy fund;
• receives the mobility allowance;
• access solidarity funds;
• receives the inclusion check;
• still has the old shopping card active;
• benefits from local, municipal or regional contributions or subsidies.

How the Social Card works

Starting in October , the Dedicated to You Card will be activated with the required amount credited. The card, distributed by Poste Italiane through Postepay , serves one purpose: grocery shopping. It is designed for the purchase of strictly essential food items (no alcohol, therefore).

Compared to previous editions, some expenditure items have been cut:

• no fuel;
• no public transport passes;
• no purchases other than basic food.

Furthermore, the card also offers access to 15% discounts at participating stores , which must be Mastercard-enabled.

It works like a normal electronic payment card, equipped with a personal PIN code , but does not allow cash withdrawals or top-ups, nor non-food purchases.

To find out which businesses are participating in the initiative and qualify for the discounts, please visit the Ministry of Agriculture website.

Dedicated to You Card 2025: Delivery methods and required documents

Recipients will receive an official communication from their municipality of residence , which will provide instructions for picking up the card at post offices. Upon delivery, a valid ID and tax code will be required.

Families receiving the benefit for the first time will receive a new card; those who have already received the benefit will simply top up their existing account.

To collect the card you will need to present:

• the assignment letter received from the Municipality;
• a valid identity document;
• the tax code.

The collection can also be carried out by a delegated person , in possession of written authorization.

The lists of beneficiaries will be published on the municipal websites for at least thirty days, with measures to protect the confidentiality of personal data.

Deadlines and obligations for Social Card recipients

Whoever receives the card will lose it if they don't use it at least once by mid-December 2025. The €500 also has an expiration date; they must be spent by February 28, 2026. Any delays in the timetable will be decided by the next regulatory updates, assuming they arrive in time.

On the bureaucratic front, Poste Italiane will have to submit a detailed report to the Ministry of Agriculture by the end of March 2026, which will then forward the data to the Ministries of Labor, Economy, and Business. A month later, the results will be finalized, and the unused resources will be returned to the state coffers.