The labor secretary announced a possible new intervention next month for retirees who, due to a personal dispute, have not seen an increase in the final amount they receive. Kostis Hatzidakis.

Referring to them and in a statement to the Athens Macedonian News Agency, Mr. Hatzidakis said that “the government – ​​always within the limits of financial capacity – will consider additional intervention to address problems or injustices, such as pensioners with personal differences that are not properly covered. way the last increase in pensions. After all, the pressure created by the international energy crisis and inflation would absolutely justify such an intervention if it were possible on the basis of the fiscal margin.

For 910,000 pensioners (out of a total of 2,600,000), the 7.75% increase in pensions did not occur, but it reduced the personal difference, according to the Ministry of Labor. However, 260,000 pensioners in this category received an allowance of 250 euros, and another 515,000 benefited from the cancellation of the emergency solidarity levy.

For 910,000 pensioners, the 7.75% increase in pensions simply narrowed the personal gap.

However, 17% of retirees with personal differences, or 5.5% of the total (143,000 retirees), did not benefit from the cumulative increase. For them, an additional intervention announced by Mr. Hatzidakis is being considered.

The personal dispute was institutionalized by the Katrugalu law. Since the discounts then agreed with the troika would have been too high for some, it was decided to reduce them and pay the difference as a personal difference. These pensioners will not receive a raise in the future, which will reduce the personal difference to zero.

For the first time in 12 years, pensioners received a pay raise this year. In addition to the horizontal increase of 7.75%, the benefit came from the abolition of the special solidarity contribution and the recalculation of pensions based on the Vrucis law.

However, as political pressure is strong – in the run-up to elections – and also as fiscal space appears to have been created by higher income figures, the government is considering increasing allowances for those with large personal differences.