By Vangelis Dourakis

New payment to pensioners -that which concerns the aid of 250 euros- we will have it in the next few days. An effort is being made to put the money, according to the relevant information, into the bank accounts of the beneficiaries during between November 10 and 15. The aid will be paid “automatically” without requiring any action from the pensioners, while several households will receive the maximum amount of 500 euros.

From the competent services of the EFKA, it is planned that the annual allowance of 250-500 euros for vulnerable pensioners and disability beneficiaries will be paid by November 15 at the latest, with small chances that the process will “drag out” a little more until November 20 at the latest.

Who are the beneficiaries of the annual aid?

The amount of the aid is 250 euros for individual beneficiaries and 500 euros for couples.

The payment will be made without an application or other action by the pensioners concerned, while the signature of a Joint Ministerial Decision by the co-competent Ministries of Labor and National Economy is not required.

The mentioned annual financial support of 250 euros net – on a permanent basis – has been established for pensioners, beneficiaries of disability allowances and uninsured elderly. It will be paid by November 30 of each year, starting from November 2025.

Beneficiaries are:

  • Pensioners over 65 with an annual family income of up to €14,000 for singles and assets of up to €200,000 and an annual family income of up to €26,000 for married/cohabiting partners.
  • The value of the real estate must not exceed 200,000 euros for singles and 300,000 euros for married couples.
  • Disability pensioners of EFKA and beneficiaries of disability allowances from OPEKA, uninsured elderly people who receive a pension, as well as beneficiaries of non-institutional allowances granted by EFKA.

It should be noted here that there is no age limit for disability pension recipients, that is, the benefit will be paid to them regardless of whether they are over or under 65 years of age.

However, the income and property criterion applies in these cases as well.

The aid is tax-free, non-confiscatable and inalienable, while if someone belongs to more than one category, they receive the amount only once.

Who will receive €500 and who are excluded

The amount of the aid is 250 euros per beneficiary, but for retired couples who meet the criteria, it reaches 500 euros.

The same applies to couples receiving an uninsured old-age pension or OPECA disability benefits.

About 450,000 old-age pensioners (under 65) are not eligible for the allowance, while working pensioners are excluded, as their income is counted towards the total annual limit.

In particular, the allowance will include:

  • Pensioners who receive a main pension and are under the age of 65. If by the end of 2025 they reach this limit, they will receive the allowance in November 2026.
  • Retirees who have an annual income that exceeds the income and asset criteria. So, for example, those receiving a pension of more than €1,200 are at risk of being left without a benefit, as are many working pensioners, as their work income is included in their annual declared taxable income.
  • Pensioners who collected retroactively during 2024. The reason is that this amount is also counted in their annual declared income. In other words, their pension may be below 1,268 euros per month and they may not receive the 250 euros because the previous year they saw their income increase due to the collection of some retroactive amounts.

Persons who fall into more than one category receive the annual financial support for one of these categories.