Thessaloniki Fair Package Could Raise Pensioners’ Annual Benefit to €446.87

A package being prepared for presentation at the Thessaloniki International Fair could bring several changes for Greek pensioners, with the November benefit, annual pension increases and the personal-difference mechanism at the center of the plans.

One option would keep the annual benefit at €300 but expand eligibility substantially, potentially covering all 2.5 million pensioners without income or age restrictions. Another would raise the payment to between €400 and €446.87 while also widening the pool of recipients.

From January 2027, main pensions are expected to receive a new annual increase of 2.6%. The increase would affect about 2.5 million pensioners and appear in December pension payments. The projected annual gain would be about €150 for a €500 pension, €389 for a €1,250 pension and €833 for a €2,700 pension.

The plans also envisage ending the personal-difference mechanism from January 2027 for 671,586 pensioners. They would then receive the full annual increase. The treatment of the Solidarity Contribution for Pensioners remains open. One proposal would apply the deduction only to the portion of a pension above €1,468. Another would abolish the contribution on supplementary pensions, where it currently applies to amounts above €300 and affects about 150,000 pensioners.