The keys to recognizing insurance years

Of Dimitris Katsaganis

Two “ways” of completing insurance time in order for someone to retire offer provisions that were passed last month in bill of the Ministry. Labor, Kostis Hatzidakis (Law 4921/2022).

As he explains in Capital.grthe labor expert, Dimitris Mouselimis, the first “way” of completing insurance time has to do with the payment of contributions, while the second with the inclusion in the optional insurance.

Specifically, in relation to the payment of contributions, the following is provided:

a) The possibility of recognizing up to 150 days of insurance for the completion of the minimum 4500 days of insurance for the establishment of a pension right.

The provision concerns:

• Insured social security institutions that joined the e-EFKA, except O.G.A. who complete the 67th year of their age by 31/12/2022 and

• They have permanently terminated their employment and their real or optional insurance

• Have not applied for retirement,

• They have not retired from an institution in Greece or abroad

• They are not entitled to a pension for any reason (disability or widowhood pension) from an institution in Greece or abroad.

• Have not recognized more than 5 years of fictitious insurance time.

• Recognition is made by a lump sum payment by the insured of all insurance contributions (employer and insured) that correspond to the recognized insurance days based on the unskilled wage valid at the time of recognition.

The provision does not apply to the completion of retirement conditions based on the provisions of old age pension special categories (Law 612/1977).

b) The possibility of optional insurance

Specifically, to insured persons in social security institutions that joined the e-Ε.Φ.Κ.Α. and have been insured for at least 500 working days within a calendar period of 5 years before the date of submission of the retirement application, the possibility is provided:

• To request the optional continuation of their insurance for a period of up to three years from the submission of the application, in order to complete the minimum total number of insurance days to meet the minimum retirement requirements due to old age (15 years of insurance or 4500 days of insurance).

• The application for optional insurance can be submitted even if, during the examination of the retirement application, it is found that there are up to 3 years left for the fulfillment of the minimum old-age retirement conditions.

• This provision also applies to retirement applications that are pending at the time of its entry into force (from 18/4/2022).

• This option is suitable for insured persons who need more than 150 days of insurance or can not proceed with the immediate payment of the remaining insurance contributions.

• Also in this case, the contribution of the condition for non-disability of the insured is not checked.

If the other conditions for the award of a pension are met, a pension award is issued, which includes the acceptance of the application for optional continuation of the insurance, the time of the optional continuation, the amount to be paid, the date of fulfillment of the conditions for receiving an old-age pension and date of commencement of retirement, which is the first day of the month following the date of fulfillment of the conditions for receiving an old-age pension.