The Ministry of Home Affairs received a petition from voters in Lang Son province transferred by the Government Office.
In which, voters reflected that the pension level, social insurance (BHXH) allowances, monthly allowances for retirees before 1990 and the current allowance level for social protection beneficiaries are still low, not fully meeting the living needs; and at the same time proposed that the State consider and adjust to increase them to ensure stable life for beneficiaries.
Based on coordination with the Ministry of Health and based on the current legal system, the Ministry of Home Affairs has issued an official response document to the above-mentioned recommendations.
Regarding the principle of pension calculation, the Ministry of Home Affairs said that, according to the provisions of the law on social insurance, the monthly pension level of employees is determined based on the monthly salary as a basis for contribution and the total time of social insurance contribution. Therefore, the benefit level is high or low directly depends on the salary contribution and time of social insurance participation of employees before retirement.
However, thoroughly grasping the spirit of Resolution No. 28-NQ/TW dated May 23, 2018 of the 12th Party Central Committee on social insurance policy reform, the Party and State always pay special attention to the lives of pensioners, especially the group who retired before 1995 with low benefits in order to narrow the gap between periods.
Institutionalizing this policy, from 2021 to 2024, the Government has 3 times implemented adjustments to increase pensions, social insurance allowances and monthly allowances according to Decrees No. 108/2021/ND-CP, Decree No. 42/2023/ND-CP and Decree No. 75/2024/ND-CP, in which priority is given to adjusting to increase for the group of low pension beneficiaries before 1995.
This mechanism has been legalized in Article 67 of the Law on Social Insurance No. 41/2024/QH15 (effective from July 1, 2025).
The regulation clearly states that the adjustment of pensions is based on the consumer price index, the balance capacity of the state budget and the social insurance fund; and at the same time, it is mandatory to adjust to increase appropriately for subjects with low pensions and retirees before 1995.
Notably, on May 15, 2026, the Government issued Decree No. 162/2026/ND-CP regulating the adjustment of pensions, social insurance allowances, and monthly allowances applied from July 1, 2026 with key contents:
Overall increase: Adjusted to increase by 8% for pensions, social insurance allowances and monthly allowances.
Additional increase for retirees before 1995: For those who are receiving pensions, social insurance allowances, monthly allowances before January 1, 1995, after a general increase of 8% but the benefit level is still below 3,800,000 VND/month, it will continue to be adjusted to increase further: Additional increase of 300,000 VND/person/month for people with a benefit level of 3,500,000 VND/person/month or less; Increase to 3,800,000 VND/person/month for people with a benefit level from over 3,500,000 VND to below 3,800,000 VND/person/month.
The Ministry of Home Affairs affirmed that the continuous pension adjustment in the past time has contributed to gradually stabilizing and improving the lives of pension and social insurance benefits recipients, especially vulnerable groups, who retired in previous periods.
Data from Vietnam Social Security shows that currently there are about 3.5 million people nationwide receiving pensions and monthly social insurance allowances.
In which, more than 11,500 people receive a salary of 20 million VND/month or more; nearly 418,500 people receive a salary of 10 to less than 20 million VND per month.
In addition, more than 1 million people are receiving pensions and allowances from 6 to less than 10 million VND/month; about 1.35 million people receive levels from 3 to less than 6 million VND/month. This is the group accounting for a large proportion of the total number of beneficiaries today.
