On March 15, it is expected that the beneficiaries will be paid the amounts of the advance payment for the months pending the issuance of the supplementary pension. EFKA has already cleared more than half of overdue supplementary pensions within two months.

EFKA: Cleared over 50% of overdue supplementary pensions in 60 days

EFKA proceeded with the issuance of 43,000 supplementary pensions – out of a total of 80,000 that were pending for months or even years and for which the main pension has already been issued – between January and February 2023. At the same time, on March 15 -by cash payment- is to be paid the advance payment of supplementary pensionwhich was instituted a few days ago following a relevant amendment submitted to the Parliament by the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, Kostis Hatzidakis. They are entitled insured persons for whom their supplementary pension has not been issued and who meet specific conditions, as analyzed below.

In detail, in January the EFKA services proceeded with the definitive issuance of 17,000 supplementary pensions, with the majority of beneficiaries being paid at the end of February both their supplementary pension and the corresponding retroactive payments. In February, 26,000 supplementary pensions were issued and the beneficiaries will receive the corresponding amounts at the end of March. A total of 43,000 supplementary pensions were issued within 2 months, i.e. more than 50% of the stock of overdue supplementary pensions with a previous main pension issue that had been accumulated in all previous years was cleared.

This significant reduction in pending cases is the result of the doubling of awarding rates compared to the corresponding period last year, which is due to a series of actions and initiatives undertaken by the EFKA Administration (introduction of automated processes and digital tools, massive undertaking files of overdue supplementary pensions from the rapporteurs who until recently issued main pensions, putting into operation a special Control Tower for supplementary pensions, etc.).

The beneficiaries

Regarding the advance payment of supplementary pension, as defined in the law, its payment is scheduled for March 15 and beneficiaries are insured persons for whom the main pension has been issued and they must have completed at least 15 years of supplementary insurance (or 4,500 days of supplementary insurance) and have submitted an application before July 1, 2022.

In fact, following a new legislative initiative by the Government, in order to further expand the number of beneficiaries, the extension of the deadline for the application from July 1, 2022, which currently applies to December 31, 2022, is immediately launched by a ministerial decision.

The exact number of supplementary pension advance payment beneficiaries will be announced in the coming days when all the relevant checks have been completed.

Who will not see the advance

Those insured who do not receive the advance payment of the supplementary pension on March 15, this is due to the following reasons:

• do not cumulatively meet the conditions for receiving the advance payment (at least 15 years of supplementary insurance, previous issuance of a main pension, etc.)

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• applications for supplementary benefits have certain legal or technical problems for which EFKA services will contact the insured to address them, or

• their final supplementary pensions have been issued within the first 15th day of March and the insured persons in question will receive them by the end of April at the latest, together with the corresponding retroactive pensions.

Finally, it is recalled that in order to receive the supplementary pension advance payment, no action is required on the part of the beneficiary – and it is equal to 100 euros for each month of delay in issuing the supplementary pension, for supplementary old-age pensions. The advance payment is set at 50 euros for supplementary disability pensions, as well as for the surviving spouse requesting a supplementary death pension. In other words, if someone who meets the conditions waits a year to receive the supplementary old-age pension, he will receive a lump sum of €1,200 (€100 times 12 months of waiting) by mid-March, if he waits two years €2,400 and so on. K.