An appeal to the Regional Administrative Court (TAR) to obtain the "depopulation bonus" (birth allowance). Or rather, an administrative appeal to avoid the restitution of contributions (€600 per month) already received. This is the story of a family (mother, father, and a three-year-old child) living in a village in Alta Gallura who have been searching for months for a solution to a misfortune that could affect other families across the island.
The case is described in an administrative appeal filed by attorney Alberto Piccinnu. According to rumors, this action has created problems for the offices of the Regional Department of Hygiene, Health, and Social Assistance. The facts are listed at the head of the appeal.
The bonus envisaged by the regional law of March 9, 2022, is discussed as a measure "to support the birth rate and combat depopulation in smaller Sardinian municipalities." At the end of 2024, the Gallura family moved from a small town to a village with approximately 2,000 residents, well within the range established by the law (municipalities with a population of no more than 5,000), and received a monthly allowance of €600. Then, a year later, the ordeal began. In 2025, the Region announced that "the benefit could not be recognized if the year of transfer of residence did not coincide with the child's birth year." The bonus was revoked. Other municipalities learned of the restrictive interpretation, and in many cases, the question of revoking the measure arose. The exchange of letters between the Gallura family's municipality of residence and the Region began in July 2025.
The appeal also states that "the Region, with a note dated 24 June 2026, found that the requirement for transfer of residence was to be considered satisfied if it occurred within the first year of the minor's life, even in cases where this period falls between two different years, and that, applying this criterion to the specific case, the contribution was not payable, since the transfer of residence (29 March 2024) occurred after the completion of the minor's first year of life (6 January 2024)."
Ultimately, those who had their bonus revoked decided to go to the Regional Administrative Court (TAR) (a considerable expense for a single-income family). Attorney Piccinnu is peremptory in his statement: "The requirement is not present in Regional Law No. 3/2022, nor in Regional Law No. 1/2024, nor in the application form used for the 2024 tax year." Now the Region is said to be reconsidering, issuing a new provision that puts an end to the mess, but attorney Piccinnu is still requesting a ruling from the TAR.
