On March 30, 2020, the "Agreement on social advance payments in favor of workers receiving wage subsidies as per Articles 19 to 22 of Legislative Decree no. 18/2020" was signed (available here), in the presence of the Minister of Labor and Social Policies, between the Italian Banking Association (ABI) and the main social partners.

In order to make the provision of the social safety nets provided for in the "Cura Italia" Decree operational as soon as possible, the Agreement promotes the advance payment of ordinary redundancy funds and of exceptional redundancy funds by banks of workers suspended due to the COVID-19 health emergency. The advance payment will be made by sending money to a special current account, if requested by the bank, in the form of a lump sum of €1,400. The banks will pay this amount in advance to the workers, pending direct payment by INPS.

The beneficiaries of the aforesaid advance payments are the employees (including working partners, and agricultural and fishing workers) of employers who, even pending the launch of the measures authorizing the wage subsidies for the COVID-19 emergency, have suspended their work at zero hours and have applied for direct payment by INPS of the redundancy fund, ordinary or in exception, in accordance with Articles 19 to 22 of Decree Law 18/2020 and the related provisions set out in the regional agreements.

For access to the advance payment, the agreement favors the management of the procedures "remotely", allowing the relevant workers to apply to their bank in telematic mode, so as to limit physical access to the branches. The payment is set at nine weeks of suspension at zero hours (reduced proportionally in the case of shorter duration), to be re-proportioned in the case of a part-time employment relationship. The advance payment will cease with the payment by INPS of the wage subsidy.