Italy moves to recognize and support 12 million family caregivers

Recent Istat data show that 12.3 million Italians – about one in four adults – provide regular care for elderly relatives, people with disabilities or chronic illnesses. The findings highlight that caregiving extends far beyond co‑habiting relatives and that any reform must address a wide network of informal carers.

Parliament is debating a draft law presented by Minister for Disabilities Alessandra Locatelli to codify the rights and assistance for all family caregivers. At the same time, the Lazio regional government has begun fully applying its May 4 2024 Regional Law 5 after pressure from the caregiver‑rights committee. The law introduces measures such as recognition of double caregivers for disabled minors, formal acknowledgment of young caregivers from age 16, a one‑time €1,000 personal budget, temporary replacement services or up‑to‑€600 annual relief, and dedicated training and psychological support. The committee, represented by Eleonora Maini, thanked regional officials Massimiliano Maselli and Alessia Savo for accelerating the implementation, which had lagged for about 18 months in the district.

Together, the national statistics and the regional rollout underline a growing policy push to formalise and fund informal care across Italy.