Practical guide with 7 questions and answers and examples for the emergency financial assistance to pensioners with a personal difference, the Ministry of Labor made public, after yesterday’s announcements. See in detail:

1) What categories of pensioners does the emergency financial support announced yesterday concern?

It concerns all pensioners who have a personal difference and have a sum of main pensions up to 1,600 euros per month and either did not see the 7.75% increase at all in the previous month or received less than that. These pensioners are estimated at 1,112,000 out of a total of 2.5 million pensioners. The rest of the pensioners will not receive the extraordinary aid as they have already received the 7.75% increase and have no personal difference.

2) What are the aid amounts and by what criteria were the beneficiaries calculated?

The one-off emergency aid announced yesterday is scalable and depends on three criteria:
-The partial or no increase due to a personal difference,
-the amount of the pension and
– any other aids given in the previous period.

It starts at €200 for 158,000 pensioners who saw an increase last month but by less than 7%. It is set at 250 euros for 394,000 pensioners who either saw a small increase (less than 3.5%) and have a sum of main pensions of up to 1,100 euros per month, or saw little benefit from the abolition of the special solidarity contribution and have a sum of main pensions of 1,100 to 1,600 euros per month. And it escalates to 300 euros for 560,000 mainly low-income pensioners who either did not see any increase in their incomes in the previous period, or saw very little support through the abolition of the special solidarity contribution and at the same time have a sum of main pensions below 1,100 euros per month, or are low-income pensioners with a personal difference who are reinforced again after the 250 euro boost they received at Christmas.

3) When will the emergency financial aid be paid? Do I need an application?

Until March 31 with payment in advance. No application is required from pensioners.

4) Will I receive the emergency aid in full?

The emergency aid is tax-free, non-assignable and non-confiscatable. It is not subject to any fee, levy or other withholding in favor of the State. Therefore the amounts announced will be paid in full.

5) Is the calculation of the amount of the pension based on the gross or net amount received by the pensioner?

In order for the pensioner to receive the aid, the net pension amount before taxes is considered. That is, his pension after the deduction of “insurance” deductions, 6% for health care and any deduction of the pensioner solidarity contribution (the so-called EAS) and before the withholding of taxes.

6) Who will NOT receive the emergency aid?

Of those who have a personal difference, pensioners with a sum of main pensions of more than 1,600 euros per month (about 2% of pensioners) will not receive emergency support. However, these pensioners have already seen a significant annual benefit of 500-600 euros due to the abolition of the special solidarity contribution.

7) Which pensioners did not benefit at all from the increases and extraordinary support given in recent months?

ALL pensioners, regardless of salary, benefited from the 3 permanent increases and the 2 extraordinary benefits of the last two months. In fact, 6 out of 10 will see an additional pension in 2023. It is recalled that since the end of December 2022, the following have already been paid:
1) The extraordinary financial aid of 250 euros to over 1 million pensioners with earnings of up to 800 euros per month.
2) Smaller or larger increases through the abolition of the special solidarity contribution to over 900,000 pensioners with incomes of 12,000 euros and above.
3) The 4th annual increase of Vroutsis to over 230,000 pensioners
4) And of course the first – after a dozen years – increases of up to 7.75% for 1.7 million pensioners.

Now the extraordinary aid covers on the one hand the 120,000 pensioners who had not received any increase or aid, on the other hand 992,000 pensioners with a personal difference who are being strengthened anew as there was a very small or comparatively larger aid at Christmas.

Examples of pensioners who are enhanced

Example 1

A low widow pensioner with a personal difference and with pensionable earnings of 650 euros per month, he received an emergency aid of 250 euros at Christmas 2022 and an additional 250 euros last year at Easter. With the emergency aid that was announced, he will receive an additional 300 euros until March 31.

Example 2

A pensioner with a pension of 850 euros per month, with a personal difference, did not receive any of the increases or reinforcements of the previous period. With the emergency aid that was announced, he will receive the maximum amount of 300 euros.

Example 3

A pensioner with a personal difference and with a sum of main pensions of 1,050 euros per month, he did not see the increase of 7.75% in the previous month. He saw only a small benefit from the abolition of the special solidarity levy of 36 euros a year. With the new aid, he will receive an additional amount of 300 euros.

Example 4

A pensioner with a personal difference and with a sum of main pensions of 1,320 euros per month, he did not see the increase of 7.75% in the previous month. But he saw a benefit from the abolition of the special solidarity levy of 111 euros per year. With the new aid, he will receive an additional amount of 250 euros.

Example 5

A low-income pensioner with the sum of his main pensions of 750 euros, he had a personal difference which he eliminated with the 7.75% increase of the previous month. He received a 2.5% increase in his actual salary. With the new emergency aid, he will receive an additional amount of 250 euros.

Example 6

A pensioner with the sum of main pensions of 1,400 euros, he had a personal difference which he eliminated with the increase of 7.75% of the previous month. He received a real increase in his salary of 3.2%. With the new emergency aid, he will receive an additional amount of 200 euros.

Example 7

A pensioner with a sum of main pensions of 900 euros, he had a personal difference which he eliminated with the increase of 7.75% of the previous month. He received a real increase in his salary of 6.2%. With the new emergency aid, he will receive an additional amount of 200 euros.