Legislative intervention to reduce the pensioners’ solidarity contribution (SSC) which will lead to an indirect increase in pensions (from 20 to 150 euros per month) for 400.000 beneficiaries, is being prepared by the Ministry of Labour & Social Security.

It is about the payment of increases through the reform of the Pensioners’ Solidarity Contribution (PSC), the payment of the personal difference allowance to those who will not receive increases in 2025, and the new way of calculating pensions which will lead to increases.

Specifically:

Pensioners’ Solidarity Contribution (PSC).

Decisions on the reform of the scale of the Pensioners’ Solidarity Contribution – imposed on pensioners with monthly earnings above 1,400 euros for the main pension and 300 euros for the supplementary pension – will be taken in the autumn.

A fairer distribution and a reduction of the NAP compared to current levels is being considered for both main and supplementary pensions. The measure will come into effect from the new year.

According to the proposals on the table:

▪ In the first scenario, the change of the architecture of the SAC is being considered so that it is not imposed from the first euro, but only on the amount exceeding the ceiling of each bracket, i.e. exactly as is the case with the tax rates in income tax.

▪ The second scenario foresees a reduction of the rates of the NIC from the second scale upwards.

What will happen to widow’s pensions

The appropriate “formula” for cutting widow’s pensions is being sought by the Labor Ministry, as it must make final decisions on how to “trim” them within the next few months.

Specifically, the benefit for beneficiaries from the private sector, by law, must also be reduced by 50% after three years (from 70% to 35%) if they take up work or retire. The regulation should have been in place from 2021, but it was never implemented, so if it is retroactive, the portion of current pensions that must be refunded must be withheld.

The scenarios under consideration are:

– In the case of two pensions, there should be an option to reduce the smaller one by 50%.

– To cut by 35% only the part of the national pension of €427 and not the contributory part, i.e. not the entire widow’s pension.

– The repayment of the amounts received by pensioners due to the fact that the cut was not made should be made in several installments from the amount of the pension they receive.