Big cuts are coming to 100,000 private-sector widows’ pensions to bring them in line with the equivalent amounts received by public-sector widow pensioners. Several cuts scenarios are already on the table, ahead of the final measures to be taken in the autumn.

The government and the new Minister of Labor, Mrs Niki Kerameos are asked to make the difficult decision to apply the provisions for the reduction of widow’s pensions in cases where the beneficiary receives a pension in his own right or works.

50% off

The amount of private sector beneficiaries’ pensions (according to the current law) must be reduced by 50% after three years (from 70% to 35%) in the event of employment or retirement. The cut was supposed to have applied from 2020, but it only applied to public sector and OGA pensions.

The final decision on how the law will be implemented, and especially on whether and to what extent the cuts will be sought retroactively, will have to be taken by government staff over the next period. This is an issue that concerns thousands of insured persons, mainly widows, and has huge social implications, which can cause strong reactions.

The government is reportedly considering making the reductions non-retroactive to avoid having to seek refunds from 2020 onwards. However, this has not been finalized.

The scenarios considered are the following:

1. In the case of two pensions, there should be an option for a 50% reduction of the smaller one.

2. To cut by 35% only the part of the national pension of €427 and not the compensatory part, i.e. not the whole of the widow’s pension.

3. The return – in installments – of the sums received by the pensioners during the period when the relevant provision of the law had not been applied.

The problem also concerns the payment of the national pension, which should be paid only one of the pensions collected by the beneficiary.

The Unified Network of Pensioners in a letter to the prime minister and the co-competent ministers requests that the cut measure not be implemented. He reiterates his proposal to keep all widow’s pensions at 70% of the original from now on, without further halving, as stipulated by the 2020 law. But this means that the Government must bring forward a new provision of the law that will correct the mistake of the past . Otherwise, the network notes, thousands of pensioners from the private sector are at risk of suffering large cuts in their widow’s pension. In addition, they will be asked to return back to e-EFKA, significant sums, as unduly paid.

Source: ot.gr