The Ministry of Home Affairs has issued a Draft Decree of the Government detailing and guiding the implementation of a number of articles of the Law on Social Insurance (SI) on social pension benefits from July 1, 2025.
In the draft Decree, the Ministry of Home Affairs proposes that beneficiaries receive monthly social pension benefits at the rate of VND500,000/month.
In case a person who is both eligible for social pension benefits and is also a monthly social allowance recipient, he/she will receive a higher allowance.
Those who are receiving monthly social pension benefits are covered by health insurance from the budget, and when they die, the funeral arrangements for the organization or individual will receive support for funeral expenses according to the provisions of the law on the elderly.
Subjects receiving monthly social pension benefits upon death will receive a funeral cost support regime of 10 million VND.
Social pension benefits according to the provisions of the Social Insurance Law 2024 (effective from July 1, 2025) are a type of social insurance guaranteed by the State budget, built on the basis of inheriting and developing part of the regulations on monthly social allowances for the elderly.
The law stipulates that the age to receive social pension benefits is 5 years lower than the current age to receive monthly social benefits for the elderly (80 years old).
Article 21 of the 2024 Social Insurance Law stipulates that Vietnamese citizens are entitled to social pension benefits when meeting the following conditions: From the age of 75 or older; not receiving pension or monthly social insurance benefits, except in other cases as prescribed by the Government; having a written request to receive social pension benefits.
Vietnamese citizens aged 70 to under 75 who are poor or near-poor households and meet the conditions are entitled to social pension benefits.
The monthly social pension subsidy level is prescribed by the Government, in accordance with the socio-economic development conditions and the capacity of the State budget in each period.
Every 3 years, the Government reviews and considers adjusting the social pension subsidy level. Depending on socio-economic conditions, the ability to balance the budget and mobilize social resources, the Provincial People's Committee shall submit to the People's Council of the same level a decision on additional support for social pension beneficiaries.
The Law also stipulates that the National Assembly Standing Committee decides to gradually reduce the age of receiving social pension benefits based on the Government's proposal, in accordance with the socio-economic development conditions and the capacity of the State budget in each period.
The Ministry of Home Affairs predicts that when the Social Insurance Law 2024 takes effect from July 1, 2025, it is expected that about 1.2 million more elderly people without pensions and monthly social insurance benefits will receive monthly social pension benefits.
