His mother is over 70 years old, suffered from a stroke for more than 8 years and has difficulty walking, Mr. Nguyen Hoang Anh (Tay Ho ward, Hanoi) has repeatedly worried when having to redo the power of attorney to receive a pension ahead of schedule.
Although officials of the Hanoi City Public Administrative Service Center came to his house to assist in completing the procedures, his family still wants this process to be simplified, especially considering removing the regulation that every year a power of attorney must be re-issued to reduce travel time and effort for the elderly.
Most pensioners are old, so travel and access to administrative procedures are still limited. In my opinion, the regulation that powers of attorney are only valid for 12 months should be abolished. Instead, insurance agencies or local authorities can periodically verify information to both ensure management and reduce the burden of procedures for people," said Mr. Hoang Anh.
Also having elderly parents, weak health and difficulty walking, Ms. Luu Thi Phan Oanh (Tay Ho ward, Hanoi) expressed her agreement with the proposal to remove the 12-month limit for authorization to receive pensions. According to her, this is a practical solution, helping to reduce administrative procedures and create more convenience for people.
I find it quite inconvenient to redo the power of attorney every year. If the regulations are amended in a simpler direction, it will be convenient for the elderly like my parents, and also help children and grandchildren reduce the pressure when having to arrange time to complete procedures," Ms. Phan Oanh shared.
According to Master of Public Policy Nguyen Tuan Anh - Saigon Industry Corporation, the regulation of extending the power of attorney annually may create an additional burden for the elderly, especially those who are seriously ill, have difficulty traveling, live far from their children or are in need of regular support from relatives. Procedure reform must take the convenience and dignity of the beneficiaries as the center.
However, M.A. Nguyen Tuan Anh believes that removing the term limit of the power of attorney does not mean loosening management. The point to be changed is from the mechanism of periodic procedure inspection to the mechanism of regular risk monitoring. In other words, reducing paperwork but not reducing responsibility; creating convenience for people but not allowing loopholes for abuse, appropriation or profiteering from the pensions of the elderly.
Effective management is not to force all people to repeat one procedure each year, but to establish clear legal responsibility for the authorized person, fully trace transactions, have a mechanism for inspection when necessary and strictly handle when there are signs of abuse. This is a direction that is both humane and modern, while ensuring the safety of the fund and the rights of retirees," M.A. Nguyen Tuan Anh said.
Regarding the regulations on power of attorney, currently, the Ministry of Home Affairs is submitting to the Government the draft Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Social Insurance for National Assembly approval. Currently, the draft is being consulted with agencies, organizations and individuals until July 6, 2026.
In the draft, the drafting agency proposed two options for authorizing pension receipt.
In the first option, participants and beneficiaries of social insurance regimes are authorized in writing to others to carry out social insurance procedures in accordance with the provisions of civil law. The draft does not specifically stipulate the authorization to receive pensions and social insurance allowances and does not limit the validity period of the authorization letter.
This plan is proposed to overcome the obstacles arising in the process of implementing the 2024 Law on Social Insurance.
Meanwhile, the second option maintains the current regulations. Accordingly, the power of attorney to receive pensions, social insurance allowances and other regimes is valid for a maximum of 12 months from the date of establishment of the power of attorney. The power of attorney must also be certified according to the provisions of law.
