The Ministry of Labor has announced that pensioners who received the EKAS benefit in 2016, but do not qualify for it anymore, will be called upon to retroactively return the benefit payments in 12 installments. According to the Ministry’s announcement the installments will be withheld from future pension payments.
This development means that about 100,000 pensioners – of the 380,000 on low pensions who currently receive the benefit – will have to return the benefit. The EKAS benefit is given to pensioners with low incomes. The income criteria for the benefit are revised in June every year.
Under the new criteria, the EKAS benefit will range from 57.50 to 230 euros and will be available to pensioners with an annual income up to 7,972 euros.
