45% of Greece’s elderly live under (local) poverty level (665 euros)

International creditors want pension cuts, but most Greek pensioners are poor and over a quarter living under the poverty line

Greek pensioners decreased by 2,865 in February 2015, and now number 2,654,784 people according to official figures by the Labor Ministry. Pension payments totalled 2,346,571,901 euros in March allocated to 4,541,966 pensions — of which 2,902,477 were basic pensions and 1,639,489 were supplementary.

Alternate Social Insurance Minister Dimitris Stratoulis said 44.8% of pensions, some 1,189,396, were below the poverty level of 665 euros per month, while 60% of pensioners received 800 euros per month, excluding healthcare contributions.

Stratoulis said the majority of people with a disability pension received between 250-540 euros per month.

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