Italian courts rule on INPS pension recoveries and survivor benefits

The Labour Section of the Tribunal of Chieti ruled that the Istituto Nazionale della Previdenza Sociale (INPS) cannot reclaim more than €15,000 of disability benefits when the over‑payment results from an administrative error by the institute. The judgment emphasized that beneficiaries who acted in good faith and did not cause the error are not liable for reimbursement, a decision that could affect many pensioners in the Abruzzo region.

Separately, Italian pension law outlines how the reversibility (survivor) pension is divided between a surviving spouse and a divorced former spouse. Eligibility for an ex‑spouse requires that the pensionable insurance relationship began before divorce, a court‑granted alimony, a periodic allowance, and that the ex‑spouse has not remarried. When both a surviving spouse and an eligible ex‑spouse are present, the single survivor pension is split according to the duration of each marriage and other equitable considerations established by law and jurisprudence.