Numerous complaints regarding the activity of some pension houses, including from abroad, were sent to the People's Advocate last year, generally reporting calculation errors or failure to recalculate pensions based on the new law, but also major delays in its application.
Many retirement homes violated pensioners' rights in 2025. Archive photo
Most of the petitions addressed by pensioners refer to the application of Law no. 360/2023 regarding the public pension system, more precisely to dysfunctions in the implementation of an integrated IT system, these and the large volume of work at the level of pension houses generating long delays in the settlement of requests.
Through the petitions sent to the Ombudsman, criticism was expressed regarding:
– delays in resolving requests for pension review, establishing pension rights or switching from one type of pension to another;
– the manner in which some territorial pension houses proceeded with the calculation or recalculation of pensions with the wrong calculation of the points or the non-consideration by the pension houses of all the submitted documents;
– the method of establishing the amount of the pension of persons who carried out their activity in special/unique working conditions;
– difficulties in obtaining certificates attesting to the seniority or amount of salaries and permanent increments necessary for the recalculation of pensions;
– delays in the payment of established pension rights;
– suspension of the payment of pensions;
– the refusal of pension houses to enforce final and irrevocable court decisions establishing pension rights;
– difficulties in obtaining an international or community pension in Romania;
– the abusive behavior of some pension house employees.
Case studies
The People's Advocate also gave some of the most conclusive cases solved following his intervention. For example, a person who retired early complained that, upon reaching retirement age, the Ilfov Pension House did not recalculate it. When pressured by the People's Advocate, the Ilfov Pension House replied that it would issue a decision, without specifying when. Therefore, the People's Advocate asked the National Public Pensions House (CNPP) to solve the problems. Following this request, the CNPP requested that all petitions related to pensions be handed over to it, giving assurances that it will intervene for the proper functioning of the activity of the pension houses.
Another case claimed that his pension did not include certain periods of work, for which he paid contributions, as well as military training, although he had submitted the supporting documents and made several reports to the Local Pension House Sector 1, with no response. Following the proceedings, the Local Pension House Sector 1 issued the revision Decision by which the contribution periods and military service were included, with the recalculation of rights starting from the date of initial registration for the pension and the application of the provisions of Law no. 360/2023, starting September 1, 2024. CNPP confirmed that the outstanding rights will be paid in full.
Another person from sector 3 requested support for the resolution of the appeal filed against the retirement decision, showing that the document issued by the Local Pension House reflected a greatly reduced contribution period compared to the one established previously and that the institution did not respond within the legal deadline.
Following the steps taken by the People's Advocate, the CNPP informed that the pension file was re-evaluated, and the contested decision was revised by a new decision, issued under the applicable legislation. As part of the recalculation, the legal corrections were applied, resulting in an increased annual average score and the establishment of important monetary differences for the period 2020-2025, in the amount of 7,968 lei, an amount paid in July 2025.
Major problems for Romanians who have worked abroad
The Ombudsman's report on the valorization of the right to pension by Romanian citizens working abroad had in mind the identification of deficiencies in the field of European/international pensions, respectively the solutions to improve the situation of Romanian citizens who have worked abroad and request the recognition of the right to pension. “The Avocatul Poporului institution was frequently notified by Romanian citizens who carried out work and completed a contribution internship abroad“, the report states.
Most problems related to international pensions concern Romanians who worked and transferred contributions in Italy, Greece, Israel, Spain, Germany, Great Britain, France, Republic of Moldova, Cyprus and Serbia.
The People's Advocate requests the introduction of the calculation sheet attached to the pension decisions
The People's Advocate points out that, in many situations, pensioners receive retirement or recalculation decisions without having the opportunity to understand the concrete way in which the rights were established, which also makes it difficult to formulate some appeals.
In this context, the institution addressed to the National Public Pension Fund (CNPP) a recommendation regarding “the need to amend or supplement the tertiary legislation in the field of pensions, in order to issue the calculation bulletin as an annex to the retirement or recalculation decision“. The People's Advocate assessed that the lack of this document affects the transparency of the procedure and the right of the beneficiaries to know how to determine the amount of the pension.
