Transforming Retirement: The Impact of Pension Enhancements on All Funds

Old – before 2016 – pensioners who have a balance of the so-called “personal difference” of the amount, i.e. which they receive as a pension supplement after the recalculation they had in 2019 and 2020, will see the increase in their pocket only if it exceeds and reaches zero the personal difference. If, despite the increase, there is a balance of the personal difference, and this balance is more than 10 euros, they will receive as a compensatory “increase” the personal difference allowance, which will be 200 euros, 150 euros and 100 euros, depending on pension amount.

With the increases of the two previous years (2023 and 2024) and with that of 2025, a total of 500,000 pensioners will have zeroed out the personal difference.

Of the total of 1.2 million pensioners who “obtained” the positive personal difference in the first recalculation of pensions in 2019 with the Katrougalou law, almost 500,000 will have managed to reduce it to 100% after the 2025 increase, while there are approximately 650,000 to 680,000 pensioners left who will see their personal difference gradually reduced to zero in the coming years.

In the revealing table published today by the “Insurance and Pensions” insert, with pensioners from almost all the Funds, it is clear that in 2022 all pensioners had a personal difference balance. In 2023, with the first increase in pensions, several people zeroed out the personal difference, in 2024, others also zeroed it out, while in 2025, with the new increase, the personal difference will have been zeroed out by everyone!

The table comes from a journalistic investigation by “ET” with the detailed payment amounts of the EFKA (compensatory – national pension and personal difference) and represents hundreds of thousands of pensioners. As can be seen in all cases, the pensioners had amounts of personal difference that in 2022 reached 167 euros and in 2025 they are zero!

The benefit of eliminating the personal difference is that retirees see the increases they are given go into their pocket and get a bigger pension.

According to the data in the table, the winners are the pensioners with 31 years of insurance and more from the State, IKA, NAT, the DEKO and bank Funds, as well as the retirees.

Most of those who maintain a personal difference have more than 30 years of insurance and are mostly old retirees, who, although they reduced a part of the difference with the replacement rates of the Brutsis law, were still left with a balance that was nullified by the increases. In essence, the 500,000 retirees did not get the full 2023 and 2024 raises, as their personal difference would have to be zeroed out first.

There are another 650,000 with a personal gap remaining, who will likewise start seeing increases from 2025 and within three years the gap will have been zeroed out by the last retiree.

What does zero personal difference mean and what does the pensioner gain?

The personal difference is zeroed out with the increases and in these cases the pensioners get a larger pension than they had before their pensions were recalculated in 2019 with the Katrougalou law.

For example, a pensioner with a personal difference of 60 euros means that they will have to get increases of 60 euros to equalize it and the pension will start to rise. With a 40 euro increase, the personal difference will become 20 euros and with another 30 euro increase the personal difference will be zero and there will be a net increase of 10 euros in the pension.

Who erased personal difference and who earns the 2025 increase

The revealing table published by the “Insurance and Pensions” insert shows the categories of pensioners who had a personal difference in 2022 and gradually reduced it to zero with the increases of 2023 and 2024, while pensioners who have a balance of difference will erase it with the increase of 2025.

For example, as shown in the relevant table:

1. A State pensioner with 35 years of insurance in 2022 would receive 995 euros pension and 126 euros from a personal difference (a total of 1,121 euros). With the 2023 increase, he reduced the personal difference to 48.89 euros and with the 2024 increase, he reduced it to 16.72 euros. The increase for 2025 will be 28.7 euros, of which 16.72 euros will equalize the personal difference and 11.99 euros will be the net increase in the pension, which will be 1,132.99 euros, without to have a personal difference.
2. Retired with 41.11 years of insurance in 2022, he would receive a pension of 1,316 euros and 116 euros from a personal difference. With the increase in 2023, he reduced the personal difference to 14 euros and with the increase in 2024, he reduced it to zero, earning 28.53 euros. With the increase in 2025, he will receive 1,498.50 euros.
3. An IKA pensioner with 33 years of insurance in 2022 would receive 850 euros pension and 85 euros from personal difference. With the increase in 2023, he reduced the personal difference to 19.13 euros and with the increase in 2024, he reduced it to zero with a net profit of 8.34 euros in the pension. The 2025 increase will all go into the pocket and the pension will reach 967.88 euros, with a monthly benefit of 24.53 euros.

Which pensioners will get personal difference allowance and how much

A one-off benefit of between 100 and 200 euros is planned to be paid by the government in December to pensioners who will not get increases because they will have a balance of personal difference. The beneficiaries are estimated to be around 650,000 to 680,000 pensioners, who will have a personal difference balance of more than 10 euros in the November pension payment.

Based on last year’s criteria, the aid amount is considered to be 200 euros for pensions up to 700 euros, 150 euros for pensions up to 1,100 euros and 100 euros for pensions up to 1,600 euros.

There is a possibility that the allowance will be increased up to 400 euros for pensions up to 700 euros and will remain the same for the following scales.

WON

Pensioners with a small personal difference of up to 20-30 euros will get increases from this year and will see their pension exceed the amount of their old pension, the one they received before the recalculations and before the personal difference was loaded on them.

LOST

Pensioners who still maintain a large personal difference, more than 200 euros, and come mainly from high-ranking positions and special salaries of the State, or from OAEE-TEBE, will probably wait more than 3 years to see the personal difference zero from annual increases.

The pensioner categories that zero out the personal difference with pension increases

Pensioners by Fund and years of insurance	Pension 2022	Personal difference 2022	Pension 2023 (+7.75%)	Personal difference 2023	Net increase 2023/2022	Pension 2024 (+3%)	Personal difference 2024	Net increase 2024/2023	Pension 2025 (+2.6%)	Personal difference 2025	Net increase 2025/2024
Public 42 years	1.526,00 €	55,00 €	1.644,27 €	0,00 €	63,27 €	1.693,59 €	0,00 €	49,32 €	1.737,63 €	0,00 €	44,04 €
Public 38 years	1.090,00 €	38,00 €	1.174,48 €	0,00 €	46,48 €	1.209,71 €	0,00 €	35,23 €	1.241,16 €	0,00 €	31,45 €
Retired 37.8 years	1.314,00 €	76,00 €	1.415,84 €	0,00 €	25,84 €	1.458,31 €	0,00 €	42,47 €	1.496,23 €	0,00 €	37,92 €
Retired 36.5 years	1.349,00 €	95,00 €	1.453,55 €	0,00 €	9,55 €	1.497,15 €	0,00 €	43,60 €	1.536,08 €	0,00 €	38,93 €
IKA 39 years	1.079,00 €	27,00 €	1.162,62 €	0,00 €	56,62 €	1.197,50 €	0,00 €	34,88 €	1.228,64 €	0,00 €	31,14 €
IKA 38 years	1.066,00 €	12,00 €	1.148,62 €	0,00 €	70,62 €	1.183,07 €	0,00 €	34,45 €	1.213,83 €	0,00 €	30,76 €
IKA 37 years	1.118,00 €	16,00 €	1.204,65 €	0,00 €	70,65 €	1.240,78 €	0,00 €	36,13 €	1.273,04 €	0,00 €	32,26 €
Social security 35 years	897,00 €	58,00 €	966,52 €	0,00 €	11,52 €	995,51 €	0,00 €	28,99 €	1.021,40 €	0,00 €	25,89 €
DEKO 35 years	1.132,00 €	67,00 €	1.219,73 €	0,00 €	20,73 €	1.256,32 €	0,00 €	36,59 €	1.288,99 €	0,00 €	32,67 €
TSMEDE 38 years	1.003,00 €	3,00 €	1.080,73 €	0,00 €	74,73 €	1.113,15 €	0,00 €	32,42 €	1.142,10 €	0,00 €	28,95 €
Public 36 years	1.075,00 €	91,00 €	1.158,31 €	7,69 €	0,00 €	1.193,06 €	0,00 €	27,06 €	1.224,08 €	0,00 €	31,02 €
Public 39 years	1.081,00 €	113,00 €	1.164,78 €	29,22 €	0,00 €	1.199,72 €	0,00 €	5,72 €	1.230,91 €	0,00 €	31,19 €
Retired 41.11 years	1.316,00 €	116,00 €	1.417,99 €	14,01 €	0,00 €	1.460,53 €	0,00 €	28,53 €	1.498,50 €	0,00 €	37,97 €
Social Security 33 years	850,00 €	85,00 €	915,88 €	19,13 €	0,00 €	943,35 €	0,00 €	8,34 €	967,88 €	0,00 €	24,53 €
Public 35 years	995,00 €	126,00 €	1.072,11 €	48,89 €	0,00 €	1.104,28 €	16,72	0,00 €	1.132,99 €	0,00 €	11,99 €
Public 38.9 years	1.067,00 €	148,00 €	1.149,69 €	65,31 €	0,00 €	1.184,18 €	30,82	0,00 €	1.214,97 €	0,03€	0,00 €
OAEE-TEBE 33 years	1.001,00 €	126,00 €	1.078,58 €	48,42 €	0,00 €	1.110,93 €	16,07	0,00 €	1.139,82 €	0,00 €	12,82 €
NAT 31.6 years	1.299,00 €	167,00 €	1.399,67 €	66,33 €	0,00 €	1.441,66 €	24,34	0,00 €	1.479,15 €	0,00 €	13,15 €

*Pension amounts before tax

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