Adjusting pensions to ensure a living for the elderly

Pensions are regularly adjusted, so the life of Ms. Tong Thi Ha in Hong Vu commune (Kien Xuong) in her old age is less difficult.

Ms. Tong Thi Ha, Hong Vu commune (Kien Xuong) is one of the first people in Thai Binh province to receive a pension thanks to 100% of the time participating in voluntary social insurance. In 2008, when the voluntary social insurance policy began to be implemented by the State, Ms. Ha boldly registered to participate. In 2018, when she had 10 years of participating in social insurance and reached the legal working age, Ms. Ha made a lump sum payment for the remaining years to receive a pension. With a starting salary of more than 600,000 VND/month, after adjusting the salary increase, she is currently receiving a monthly pension of 945,000 VND. Ms. Ha shared: Although the amount is not much, for the lives of elderly people in rural areas like my husband and I, it is a very valuable amount to cover our living expenses. Thanks to the pension policy, I was given a free health insurance card for medical examination and treatment with benefits up to 95%. I just regret that my family's circumstances were too difficult in the past. If I had participated with a higher contribution level, my pension would have been higher now.

Ms. Hoang Thi Lan, Binh Dinh commune (Kien Xuong) is also one of those who are receiving pensions thanks to participating in voluntary social insurance. When she started receiving her pension, Ms. Lan received 657,000 VND/month; now after several pension adjustments, Ms. Lan is receiving a salary of over 1 million VND/month. For Ms. Lan, that is a financial source that helps her cover her daily living expenses. Ms. Lan happily shared: Life is increasingly developing, along with that, consumer prices are also increasing. I thank the Party and the State for their attention and timely pension adjustment policies for beneficiaries like us to ensure our lives. Compared to the time I started receiving my pension, my salary has nearly doubled. With the attention of the Party and the State, I believe that pensions will be adjusted regularly to help many elderly people stabilize their lives and not have to depend on their children and grandchildren. When I retire, I have a pension and a free health insurance card for medical examination and treatment. I feel very proactive, secure and excited.

Regular adjustments to pension levels, social insurance benefits, and monthly benefits bring joy and excitement to people. Since 1995, the National Assembly and the Government have adjusted pensions 24 times, helping beneficiaries improve their quality of life. In addition, beneficiaries are also given free health insurance cards during their retirement to enjoy medical examination and treatment benefits and health care paid by the health insurance fund at a rate of 95%. Thanks to monthly pensions, many people have a stable life.

In addition to regularly adjusting salary increases according to the consumer price index, the Party and the State always pay attention to amending the Law on Social Insurance and the Law on Health Insurance to be more and more suitable, meeting the needs, aspirations and interests of the people. In 2024, the National Assembly passed the Law on Social Insurance No. 41/2024/QH15, effective from July 1, 2025, with many new points to implement a flexible, diverse, multi-layered, modern and internationally integrated social insurance system according to the principles of contribution - benefit, fairness, equality, sharing and sustainability. Mr. Nguyen Van Khanh, Head of the Social Insurance Regime Department, Provincial Social Insurance, said: Regarding the voluntary social insurance policy, the revised Law on Social Insurance this time has new regulations on maternity allowance. Voluntary social insurance participants or those who have just paid compulsory social insurance and have paid voluntary social insurance for 6 months or more within 12 months before giving birth are entitled to a maternity allowance of 2 million VND per child. The 2024 Social Insurance Law increases the opportunity for social insurance participants to receive pensions by reducing the minimum number of years of social insurance contributions from 20 years (according to current law) to 15 years to receive pensions. Thus, social insurance participants who meet both the prescribed retirement age and the minimum social insurance contribution period of 15 years are entitled to pension benefits.

Currently, there are nearly 61,000 people participating in voluntary social insurance in the province. Thai Binh Social Insurance continues to promote communication forms, spreading voluntary social insurance policies to all people to develop, expand coverage, and strive for the goal of universal social insurance.

Duy Tung

Source: https://baothaibinh.com.vn/tin-tuc/9/221259/dieu-chinh-luong-huu-bao-dam-cuoc-song-cho-nguoi-cao-tuoi