Barrage of payments to workers, pensioners and vulnerable social groups, is planned for the next period of time.

In particular, a new increase of 2.4% will be received by around two million pensioners with their January pension, which is expected to be paid before Christmas.

The annual increase in pensions is directly linked to the growth of the economy, as it is equal to half the sum of inflation and the growth of the economy.

As announced by the Minister of Labor and Social Security, Niki Kerameos, the payment of the increased January pensions will be completed by December 23.

According to the planning, on Friday, December 20, 2024, the main pensions will be paid from the former OAEE, OGA and ETAA Self-Employed Funds, the main pensions awarded from the establishment of the EFKA and after, with Law 4387/2016, through the OPS-EFKA (salaried & self-employed from 1/1/2017 onwards) and all supplementary pensions of the private sector (self-employed and employed).

On Monday, December 23, 2024, the main pensions of the former Employee Funds (IKA-ETAM, banks, OTE, PPC, OTHER ASSETS (TSEAPO, TSP-ISAP), NAT, ETAT and ETAP-MME) will be paid, as well as the main and supplementary pensions of the State.

It is noted that pensions increased by 7.75% in 2023 and by 3% in 2024, with the result that the cumulative increase, during the last three years, reaches 14%.

At the same time, extraordinary financial assistance will be given to approximately 700,000 pensioners, with a personal difference of more than 10 euros, within December. Those who receive the sum of main pensions up to 700 euros are entitled to an aid of 200 euros, for those who receive the sum of main pensions over 700 euros to 1,100 euros the aid amounts to 150 euros, while the aid reaches the amount of 100 euros for those who receive the sum of main pensions over from 1,100 euros and up to 1,600 euros.

According to Ms. Kerameos, the payment of the personal difference allowance is scheduled to take place by December 18.

Pensioners also benefit, after the passage of the provision, which corrects the distortion observed in a certain number of pensions subject to the Pensioners’ Solidarity Contribution (EAS).

It is recalled that, with the previous way of calculating the EAS, there were pensions that, after the annual increase in pensions, were transferred to an upper limit category, with the consequence that the beneficiary would ultimately receive a smaller amount than what he received before.

However, what is now valid is that, as the annual pension increases, the “threshold” of each category of the EAS will correspondingly increase, with the aim of protecting the pensioner’s income.

At the same time, in December, the regular benefits of the Welfare Benefits and Social Solidarity Organization (OPEKA) will be paid.

In addition, as has already been announced, it is planned to pay an extraordinary financial aid, amounting to 200 euros, to vulnerable social groups, such as the beneficiaries of disability allowances of the e-EFKA, the beneficiaries of the absolute disability allowance for pensioners of the former OGA, who receive only the basic pension, if they have a lifetime disability rate of 100%, to the beneficiaries of the pensioner’s sickness and disability allowance Public, to the beneficiaries of the extra-institutional allowance, which is granted by e-EFKA, to the beneficiaries of the OPECA disability allowance and to the uninsured elderly.

Beneficiaries of the child benefit will receive an additional installment from OPECA, while an additional 50% of the monthly benefit is provided to beneficiaries of the Minimum Guaranteed Income.

The Christmas Gift must be paid to private sector workers by December 21 at the latest, as required by law. Given that December 21 this year falls on a Saturday, employers must ensure that it is paid by Friday December 20, 2024.

By law, all salaried employees in the private sector are entitled to receive a Christmas Gift from their employers, which is equal to one month’s salary for wage earners and 25 days’ wages for day wage earners .

Employees will also benefit from the new reduction in insurance contributions, which will be implemented at the beginning of the new year. From January 1, 2025, it is planned to reduce the insurance contributions of employees to the EOPYY by one percentage point, which will be distributed by 0.5 percentage points to employees and by 0.5 percentage points to employers.

Since 2019, insurance contributions have decreased by 5.4 percentage points and, by 2027, the total reduction will be in the order of 5.9 percentage points.

According to the Ministry of Labour, with the new tax relief, both employers, through the further reduction of non-salary costs, and employees, through the increase in their salaries, benefit.