Social pension or social allowance for pensioners is a benefit intended to support the elderly who do not have a sufficient pension or who, for various reasons, have not contributed enough to the social insurance system to benefit from an age -limit pension.
The social pension is intended for pensioners with very low incomes. Photo archive
Equally, they benefit from the social pension and the pensioners of the public pension system and the retirees of the military pension system in Romania, regardless of the date of registration at the pension, whether the level of the pension amount, due, is below the level of the social allowance for pensioners.
The social pension is granted on the basis of strict criteria related to income and seniority, being intended for those who would otherwise have major difficulties in supporting their existence, with the purpose of ensuring a minimum level of living for these persons.
Although it is not based on the previous contributions of the beneficiaries, the social pension is financed from public funds and represents a state commitment to ensure a minimum of well -being for all citizens.
Age for social pension
According to the legislation in force, the social pension can only be requested by the persons who have reached the standard retirement age that is established by law and varies according to several factors.
The new pension law, Law 360/2023 on the public pension system, sets these age limits, which are periodically adjusted to reflect demographic and social changes.
Thus, in accordance with the provisions of art. 47 of the regulations, the standard retirement age is 65 years for men, for women being increased so that in 2035 it is 65 years, from 63 years in 2030.
However, in some cases, the retirement age can be adjusted according to the specific working conditions or the periods worked under special or special conditions, according to the legislation in force.
Acts required for the minimum guaranteed pension
In order to access the minimum guaranteed pension, the applicant must submit to the Territorial Pension House a retirement request accompanied by a series of documents attesting the identity, age, professional historian and the situation of his income. According to the law, these documents are standard and must be presented in original format or certified copy.
Thus the documents required to establish the right to social pension are the following:
- Request for retirement – is obtained from the territorial pension house and is completed with personal information and details related to the professional career;
- identity documents of the applicant – for verifying his age and identity;
- proving documents of seniority in work, such as: -work car; – certificates from employers; – other documents attesting the periods of professional activity;
- documents attesting the income – necessary to determine the eligibility for the minimum guaranteed pension.
Once the documents provided by law, the Pension House will evaluate the request in accordance with the legal provisions and, depending on the fulfillment of the eligibility criteria, will grant or not the social pension to the applicant.
Cie can receive it
The social pension is granted to the pensioners of the public pension system, with their domicile in Romania:
- regardless of the category of pension they benefit from (old -age pension, early retirement, invalidity or survivor pension);
- regardless of the date of pension registration;
- The summary amount of the pension revenues (both from the public pension system and other unintegrated systems) and from other rights, established and paid by the public pension system based on special laws, is below the level established by law.
Currently, the level of revenues that allow the granting of this allowance is 1,281 lei, according to the National Public Pensions (CNPP).
“The beneficiaries of the public pension system, whose revenues from pensions and allowances, cumulated, are below the value of 1,281 lei, collect this value monthly, called “Social allowance for pensioners”, according to the provisions of Law no. 196/2009, with the subsequent modifications and completions (GEO no. 82/2017, GEO no. 114/2018, GEO no. 135/2020, GEO no. 125/2021, GEO no.168/2022, Law no. 360/2023 on the public pension system and of GEO no. 115/2023) “”informs CNPP.
Important to mention in this context is the fact that the minimum guaranteed pension is periodically revised to ensure that it remains in accordance with the economic and social realities.
