
The government promises to increase pensions and double allowances in the coming years, but the benefit will not be the same for everyone. The monthly amount will be determined by the category and value of the pension, while those who exceed the established limits will remain outside the scheme. An increase with several measures and conditions, which makes the promise of higher pensions different from what each pensioner will benefit from.
"The economy has given us the opportunity to double the increase in pensions in each subsequent year. This year's increase will be doubled, I have said it for those who made the Flamingo protest grand, I am aware of the increase in the cost of food or oil," declared Prime Minister Edi Rama.
But not everyone will benefit from the pension increase. Senior citizens who receive an old-age pension, mothers with many children, or those who receive it because of their pension will receive an additional 1,800 lek each month from January. But the condition is that their pension is not higher than 40,000 lek per month.
An increase of 800 lek per month will benefit seniors who receive a partial old-age pension or those who receive social housing under 22 thousand lek per month. Anyone who receives more than 22 thousand lek per month is excluded from the increase.
An increase of 1 thousand lek per month will benefit pensioners in villages, former cooperative members who receive less than 18 thousand lek per month. Those who receive more than this amount are excluded from the monthly increase.
Also excluded from the increase are family pension beneficiaries who receive over 18 thousand lek per month. Those who receive less than this amount will benefit 700 lek per month.
The same applies to disability pension beneficiaries who receive over 30 thousand lek per month. Those who receive less than this amount will receive a 600 lek per month increase.
In total, 727 thousand pensioners from the country will receive a monthly bonus, there are almost 770 thousand in total. Only 36 percent of them will receive 1800 lek per month, as the vast majority, almost 41 percent, will receive 800 lek, followed by 10.3 percent who will receive 1 thousand lek, and the rest are in the values of 600-700 lek.