New disability assessment procedure from 30 September 2025

Reform of disability assessment in Italy: new rules and more areas covered

From 30 September 2025 the new disability assessment procedure is being extended to further areas:

Alessandria, Lecce, Genoa, Isernia, Macerata, Matera, Palermo, Teramo, Vicenza, the autonomous province of Trento and the Aosta Valley region.

These areas join the first group of provinces where the reform has already been in force since the start of 2025: Brescia, Catanzaro, Florence, Forlì-Cesena, Frosinone, Perugia, Salerno, Sassari and Trieste.

What the reform under DL 62/2024 provides

The disability reform introduced by Legislative Decree (decreto legislativo) No. 62/2024 was approved by Law No. 15/2025.

– It introduces new criteria for determining disability, including the possibility of an assessment based on medical records alone where the person’s state of health is evident.

– A review of welfare benefits for people with disabilities is planned for 2025.

– The procedure no longer begins with an administrative application but with the doctor sending a new medical certificate to INPS (National Social Security Institute).

– The whole system is gradually moving to the new rules, but full implementation is scheduled for 1 January 2027.

Trial phase

The reform is being rolled out in stages, according to a timetable set by INPS.

The trial implementation phase will last until 31 December 2026.

Until then the new and the old systems will run side by side, depending on the date the documents are submitted.

The difference between the old and the new procedure, in simplified form

🔄 Old procedure (before the reform)

1. 📝 The citizen submits an administrative application to INPS
2. 📄 Attaches a medical certificate (often on paper)
3. ⏳ Waits to be called before the medical board (commissione medica)
4. 🧑‍⚕️ Attends an in-person medical assessment
5. 📬 Receives the decision and, where applicable, welfare benefits

❗ Drawbacks:
– Lots of manual steps
– Long waiting times
– High risk of errors
– Limited access to information

✅ New procedure (from 30 September 2025)

1. 🩺 The doctor sends the new medical certificate to INPS online
2. 🌐 The citizen enters their socio-economic data through the portal (SPID, CIE 3.0, CNS or eIDAS)
→ or turns to a patronato (welfare advice office) or to associations
3. 📬 INPS sends the appointment by registered letter and publishes it on the “Disability Portal” (Portale della disabilità)
4. 📁 In clear-cut cases the assessment is based on documents alone, with no need to attend in person
5. 💶 If a benefit is awarded, it is paid from the month after the certificate was submitted

🔹 Why the new system is simpler:
– Fully digital
– Less red tape
– Remote assessment possible
– Faster results
– Better information through online platforms

What you need to do

– If you live or are registered as resident in one of the provinces listed, make sure your medical certificate meets the new requirements.

New digital rules for submitting data and for being called to a disability medical assessment

Once the new medical certificate has been sent, people can enter their socio-economic data online themselves, using SPID (level 2), CIE 3.0, CNS or eIDAS. They can also turn to a patronato or a specialist association. This speeds up the assessment and, where applicable, the award of welfare benefits.

The invitation to the medical examination will be sent by registered letter and will also be available on the “Disability Portal”. Failing to attend without a valid reason will be treated as withdrawing from the assessment. However, you can ask for a new date if you were unable to attend.

One of the main aims of the reform is simplification: the new medical certificate, which the doctor sends to INPS electronically, becomes the only document needed to start the procedure. In areas where the reform is already in force, a separate administrative application is no longer needed — neither from the citizen nor through a patronato.

All the latest information is on the official INPS website

INPS points out that any questions about the rules or the procedure can be sent to a dedicated e-mail address: SperimentazioneDisabilita@inps.it