Thousands of professionals and the self-employed are estimated to be “relieved” of past years of debt and are on their way to retirement as the Insurance Debt Collection Center has begun debt relief procedures. EFKA after 10 years. This refers to the entry into force of a provision of a law issued as a result of a judgment of the Council of State, which stipulates that, since the procedures have not been started, debts created in EFKA 10 years ago have a statute of limitations.

In fact, the write-off is applied retroactively from 2016, whereby it includes debts created before 2006. Beneficiaries are mostly ex-OAEE freelancers, social security experts say, as a 20-year statute of limitations applied to them while for too many years their debts were backed up by filing for a pension.

And most of them, who are estimated to be released from their debts and “start” their pension procedures, already aged 67 years and older, had debts to the former OAEE or ETAA of more than 20,000 euros. They, although they have the required 15 years of insurance (at a minimum), cannot retire due to debt. After this period, the process of retirement opens by paying off the balance of the debt.

The issued circular is clear and provides that only debts for which a search procedure has not been initiated by the FAC have a statute of limitations, namely:

• Debts for the months before 12.2005 (the limitation period is 01.01.2016).

• Debts for the months from 01.2006 to 12.2006 (the limitation period is 01.01.2017).

• Debts for the months from 01.2007 to 12.2007 (the limitation period is 01.01.2018).

• Debts for the months from 01.2008 to 12.2008 (the limitation period is 01.01.2019).

This measure paves the way for the retirement of thousands of professionals.

• Debts for the months from 01.2009 to 12.2009 (the limitation period is 01.01.2020).

• Debts for the months from 01.2010 to 12.2010 (the limitation period is 01.01.2021).

• Debts for the months from 01.2011 to 12.2011 (the limitation period is 01.01.2022).

• Debts for the months from 01.2012 to 12.2012 (the limitation period is 01.01.2023).

• Debts for the months from 01.2013 to 12.2013 (the limitation period is 01.01.2024).

Be careful. If EFKA notifies the insured of proof of payment of said premiums within ten years of its establishment, the insured must pay all premiums.

Also, as follows from the circular, EFKA must cancel write-off notices sent to insured persons if they fall under the 10-year statute of limitations. For example, for contributions due before 01/01/2008, any act of imputation issued from 01/01/2018 and later is cancelled. Of course, the amounts that have been collected in favor of now overdue debts are not sought, that is, the insured loses them and cannot claim them back.

In addition, time removed due to the statute of limitations cannot be included in the self-employed’s length of service, making retirement difficult in some cases. And that’s because the statute of limitations doesn’t allow you to complete the insurance time required for retirement, especially for those planning to retire with forty years of insurance.