Pensioners’ kin to be paid their dues?

It might be possible for pensioners’ retroactive dues dating to the period from July 2015 to May 2016 to paid out to their surviving relatives if they have died, Labor Minister Yiannis Vroutsis told Skai TV on Saturday.

He added that this would be decided by Tuesday, when the bill on the payment of some 500 million euros to pensioners who worked in the public sector is to be voted on in Parliament. In total, with the dues to private sector pensioners, the state will pay out €1.4 billion to 1.1 million eligible retirees, the minister stated.

Vroutsis also confirmed that the dues to be paid out in the latter half of October cannot be confiscated to pay off debt, and will be taxed normally as income, without any deductions upon their payment this month.

The labor minister went on to say that this month will also see the payment of the difference due to eligible recipients of bereavement benefits concerning the period from August 2019 to date, as well as an increase in all those benefits.

Then, in December, pensioners who worked for over 30 years will get retroactive dues for 14 months, Vroutsis added.