A complete guide to food vouchers: the funds provided and how to use them.

Actions of the Government and Municipalities

In advance of the €4.3 billion solidarity fund promised to municipalities in May, the government has allocated approximately €400 million to support families experiencing financial hardship. The beneficiaries are all 8,000 Italian municipalities , and the basic criteria for distributing the funds will be population size and poverty rate.

• 80% (about 320 million) based on population
• 20% (80 million) based on the difference between local per capita income and the national average income

Here's how municipalities are working to activate and distribute food vouchers, including through third-sector organizations. It's important to note that the resources allocated to municipalities are earmarked for "dematerialized" food vouchers (to speed up procedures and minimize contact between people) for the purchase of:

• food
• personal hygiene products
• for home hygiene

Who will receive the shopping vouchers?

The measures implemented by mayors in recent days take various forms, with broad discretion over the criteria for allocating these vouchers , as municipalities are not required to account for their expenditure. Generally, municipal social services offices aim to identify beneficiaries, prioritizing those who are not already receiving other public support (such as the basic income).

Where to spend them?

First, municipalities are compiling a list of businesses where they can be used. For more information, please visit your local municipality's official website. Let's take a closer look at how the municipal administrations of some of Italy's largest cities have implemented this initiative.

Bergamo

The Lombardy city, at the heart of the Italian region hardest hit by Covid-19, has been allocated approximately €640,000 . Singles receive €150, families of two receive €250, and families of three or more receive €350. Newborns and children under 3 also receive €150. Two special numbers have been opened to request food vouchers , which have been active since Tuesday. For more information, please visit the Municipality's website .

Turin

Bologna

The resources for the Municipality of Bologna amount to €2 million, available in six different amounts: €150 (households of 1 person), €250 (households of 2 people), €350 (households of 3 people), €400 (households of 4 people), €500 (households of 5 people), and €600 (households of 6 or more people). The requirements for receiving the vouchers can be found on the Municipality's website. After completing a self-declaration form online or on paper, the Municipality of Bologna will gradually send the vouchers to beneficiaries via email. For additional information, please visit the Municipality's website.

Naples

To the approximately €7 million from the government, the city administration will add resources from the Neapolitan solidarity fund , called "Cuore di Napoli," which will combine municipal funds and private donations. Those already receiving social services or in need can apply for vouchers for food and medicine through the social services office of their municipality of residence. Social services will evaluate the self-certification. According to Il Mattino, Neapolitan citizens must visit 84 businesses to use the vouchers. For additional information, see the City's website.

Palermo

With €5 million allocated to Palermo, the Municipality has launched a massive food assistance program that plans to help 15,000 families for at least three weeks, including those who currently have no source of income or earn less than €600 a month . The food aid platform has been literally overrun: over 12,000 requests , at a rate of four per minute. The online application window has now closed, and applications will now be verified to prevent looters or overlaps. Meanwhile, the Municipality has decided to open 50 help desks, distributed throughout all the districts , where those who need to sign the forms to obtain food assistance can go. For additional information, see the Municipality's link .

Florence

Starting Monday, April 6, it will be possible to request food vouchers, which can be submitted exclusively online. Eligible citizens will receive paper vouchers worth €10 each, which can be spent on food purchases at participating supermarkets and local shops. The vouchers range from a minimum of €150 for a single-parent household to approximately €500 for large families . The Municipality has published a webpage called " Le botteghe di Firenze " (Florence's Shops) with a map of open businesses that can make home deliveries and receive food vouchers. For additional information, please visit the Municipality's website .

Genoa

Since last Friday, April 3, 2020, Genoese citizens experiencing financial hardship have been able to apply for food vouchers, as provided for by the Civil Protection Department's ordinance, directly on the Municipality's website.

In the first few days, over 23,000 requests for food vouchers were received , unfortunately exceeding the available funds. The estimate is based on the €3 million allocated by the government to Genoa.

The website also provides updated information on where the vouchers can be used and how merchants can accept them by joining the network. For additional information, please consult the Municipality's link. This news only concerns the major Italian cities, which are committed to the rapid distribution —this is the rationale behind the Civil Protection Chief's Ordinance—of resources to support the populations most affected by the emergency. As mentioned, every Italian municipality is currently receiving the advance tranche of economic aid, in various forms, originally promised for the month of May; however, we invite you to consult the official websites of your municipality of residence for relevant information.