The Ministry of Home Affairs is seeking opinions on the draft Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Social Insurance (BHXH).
One of the notable contents is the proposal to gradually reduce the age of starting to receive social pension benefits to 70 years old, in accordance with socio-economic development conditions and the ability to balance the budget for each period. When the necessary conditions are met, the Government will submit to the National Assembly Standing Committee for consideration to continue reducing the age to below 70.
According to the current regulations of the 2024 Law on Social Insurance, people aged 75 and over are entitled to social pension benefits; cases from 70 to under 75 years old only apply to people from poor and near-poor households.
At a small house in An Lac Thon commune, Can Tho city, Mr. Truong Van Diep (81 years old) still takes care of his daughter, Ms. Truong Thi Truc Phuong (47 years old), who suffered a traumatic brain injury after a traffic accident 8 years ago.
No longer able to work, the livelihood of the two fathers and sons mainly relies on Ms. Phuong's allowance for people with disabilities and about 1 million VND per month supported by relatives. All living expenses and medicine must be saved.
Mr. Diep said that he is old and his health is declining, but what worries him the most is still his daughter's future.
Having to wait until the age of 75 to receive social pension benefits, Mr. Diep hopes that reducing the age of enjoyment will help many elderly people in difficult circumstances receive support sooner.
If the State continues to expand the policy of subsidies for the elderly, it will help many people in my situation have more income to cover their lives. I am old, I just hope for a little more support to feel secure in taking care of my children," Mr. Diep shared.
Also hoping for the policy to be expanded soon is Mr. Nguyen Van Huynh (68 years old, Can Tho City). After many years of working as a freelancer, without a pension, his current income mainly depends on selling lottery tickets on the street.
According to him, at the age of nearly 70, declining health makes making a living increasingly difficult. Therefore, if the age for receiving social pension benefits is lowered, it will be a practical source of encouragement for many elderly people without pensions.
Many freelancers like me do not meet the conditions to participate in social insurance, and when they are old and weak, they no longer have the ability to work. If they receive benefits sooner, it will reduce the burden for themselves and their families," he said.
According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, after reducing the age of enjoying social pension benefits from 80 to 75 years old, the number of people after retirement age who receive monthly pensions, social insurance and social pension benefits has increased by about 500,000 people, contributing to raising the rate of beneficiaries to nearly 42% by 2025.
However, this rate is still quite far from the target of about 60% of people after retirement age receiving pensions, monthly social insurance and social pension benefits by 2030 according to Resolution No. 28-NQ/TW.
Therefore, the Ministry of Home Affairs proposes two options: Maintain the current regulations or assign the Government to decide to gradually reduce the age for enjoying social pension benefits to 70 years old, moving towards lowering it when socio-economic conditions and the budget allow.
