A groundbreaking legislative initiative opens new prospects for thousands of long-term unemployed who now have the opportunity to complete the necessary pension stamps for their retirement thanks to an innovative regulation included in the new labor bill. The new labor bill that was put up for public consultation introduces a voluntary insurance continuation mechanism with a duration of up to five years, where DYPA covers all insurance contributions. The revolutionary element of this legislative intervention is the elimination of age restrictions, which dramatically expands the range of potential beneficiaries and offers insurance protection to broader social groups.
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Free pension stamps until retirement: Which categories of unemployed are affected
This innovative regulation targets specific categories of unemployed who meet strict prerequisites. A basic requirement is continuous registration with DYPA for at least twelve months. Additionally, candidate beneficiaries must not be more than five years away from completing the requirements for full retirement benefits, making this regulation particularly important for workers approaching the end of their insurance journey. Possession of an active digital unemployment card is also a necessary prerequisite.
Beneficiaries maintain their insurance coverage until they accumulate the required number of insured days that allows them to proceed with a retirement application. This legislative provision primarily addresses workers who experienced extended periods of unemployment and are at risk of never completing their insurance journey.
Insurance contribution financing mechanism
DYPA bears the full financial burden of the program, being required to completely cover the insurance contributions of beneficiaries. On a monthly basis, the organization pays to e-EFKA and auxiliary funds the exact amount that the unemployed person would pay if they were in an employment relationship. This process ensures that the time covered through the regulation is fully calculated as insurance time when determining pension amount.
The financing covers both primary and auxiliary insurance, providing comprehensive coverage to beneficiaries. The unemployed bear no financial burden, as they do not need to personally pay any amount to acquire the stamps. This feature makes the regulation extremely accessible for those facing financial hardship due to prolonged unemployment.
Special provisions for workers in heavy and unhealthy occupations
Workers with a history of employment in heavy and unhealthy occupations also have the possibility of inclusion in the program. However, there is a critical note regarding how insurance time is calculated. The time accumulated through this regulation is not counted as heavy and unhealthy work time. Therefore, the added stamps are considered normal insurance time, without the special increase coefficients that characterize heavy occupations.
Despite this limitation, the regulation maintains its importance for heavy occupation workers who have lost their jobs and need to cover the minimum required time to acquire retirement benefits. This possibility prevents the loss of all previous stamps accumulated during their professional career.
Application process and required documents
The practical implementation of the regulation will be defined in detail by a ministerial decision expected to be issued in the immediate future. The decision will determine the minimum required insurance time, the exact application submission procedure, necessary supporting documents, and the mechanism for contribution allocation to insurance funds.
Interested unemployed individuals will need to visit the competent DYPA branch in their area of residence. Basic required documents will include insurance booklets or corresponding certificates documenting existing insurance time, a sworn statement confirming the absence of other insurance time, as well as official certification of continuous DYPA registration for the required period.
Radical changes compared to the previous legislative framework
The previous legislative regime allowed voluntary insurance continuation exclusively for unemployed who met specific age criteria. This restriction excluded a significant number of long-term unemployed who needed to complete stamps for pension acquisition but did not meet the required age limit.
The new provision brings substantial reform by completely abolishing the age filter. Now, the inclusion criterion is exclusively the distance from establishing retirement benefits and not the unemployed person’s age. This modification significantly extends the number of potential beneficiaries and provides retirement security to broader social groups that until now remained outside the social protection system.
