Greece abolishes 10-year cuts to survivor pensions ahead of elections

Greece is set to abolish a decade-old cut to survivor pensions, a move the Labor Minister described as rectifying a significant social injustice. The legislation, submitted to Parliament, will end the reduction of survivor benefits after three years, restoring them to their full initial amounts.

This reform targets the "Katrougalos law," enacted in 2016, which had reduced survivor pensions from 70% to 35% after three years. The new regulation ensures permanent payment of the main survivor pension at the original entitlement rates. This means beneficiaries who saw their pensions halved will now receive the full 70%.

Additionally, the reform will prevent the application of these cuts to over 75,000 current survivor pensioners who had not yet experienced the reductions. The state will waive any claims for retroactive payments, protecting households from potential financial liabilities. The government also clarified that pensioners receiving benefits from their own work rights and a survivor pension from a different entitlement will continue to receive both national pensions without reduction.

Children who have lost both parents will also benefit, as they will now receive the full national pension amount from each parent separately, effectively doubling their national pension. The legislation is scheduled for a vote in Parliament on Tuesday, July 21, 2026. The government attributed the possibility of this intervention to increased employment and the strong performance of the digital work card system.

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We are abolishing a great social injustice of ten years, which has troubled thousands of families. We are introducing a new, fair, and socially sensitive framework, rectifying the distortions created by the Tsipras-Katrougalos law.