Changes to the rules on deductions from pensions bring a new framework for recovering sums wrongly paid to pensioners, with the rate set at 10% for new debts, while the 25% rate remains in force for older ones.
The crucial factor is the date on which the debt was assessed , as this determines the size of the monthly deduction imposed on the pensioner.
The details of how the new measure will be implemented are set out in a document from the General Directorate of Social Security at the Ministry of Labour, which was sent to EFKA on 13 October.
With these clarifications, the ministry aims to prevent a double burden on pensioners who owe more than one debt to EFKA. The new measure does not write off the sums to be repaid, but it does limit deductions for new debts and set a clear repayment order, so that the burden does not rise cumulatively when old and new debts coexist.
In detail, according to the clarifications, the reduction in the deduction rate is provided for under Article 43 of Law 5316/2026 and applies to debts assessed after 6 July 2026, the date on which the relevant provision came into force. By contrast, debts assessed on or before 5 July will continue to be repaid through a 25% deduction from the pension.
The sums to be repaid are amounts received without entitlement, such as spouse or child benefits, additional pension payments resulting from a miscalculation, and differences arising from the recalculation of pensions. In these cases, EFKA seeks to recover the excess payments by deducting them from the monthly pension.
The provision is particularly important for pensioners who have old and new debts at the same time. As the ministry clarifies, the two rates are not combined, so pensioners are not subject to a total deduction of 35% of their pension.
Instead, a specific repayment order applies, with priority given to the older debt. This means the pensioner will continue to repay the old debt through a 25% deduction until it is fully paid off. Only then will the 10% deduction begin for the newer debt assessed after 6 July 2026. Each debt is therefore repaid at the rate that applied when it was assessed, rather than under the newer rules across the board.
For example, a pensioner with a monthly pension of €1,200 and a debt of €5,000 assessed after 6 July will have €120 deducted each month. If the same amount had been assessed before that date, the deduction would be €300 a month.
If, moreover, €2,500 of the €5,000 relates to an old debt and the remaining €2,500 to a new one, repayment will take place in sequence. Initially, €300 will be deducted each month until the old debt of €2,500 is paid off, after which the monthly deduction will fall to €120 until the remaining amount is repaid.