Retirement

Retirement HCFA TEAM February 16, 2023

Disability pension

All e-EFKA policyholders who have a disability rate of 50% or more are entitled to a disability pension, regardless of when they started their insurance or which former e-EFKA fund they belonged to. From 1/1/2025 and the insured persons of the former OGA are fully integrated into the new legislative framework and the minimum disability rate for pension is set at 50%, as is the case for other insured persons. According to Law 5157 (Government Gazette 187/15-11-2024, article 43), no interruption of insurable employment is required for a person to be entitled to a disability pension.

Detailed information on disability pensions can be found in the circular here at the relevant services of the e-EFKA or tel. 1555.

Members of the e-EFKA are entitled to a main disability pension if they meet one of the following conditions:

  • Have completed at least 15 years (or 4,500 days of insurance) in a main insurance branch.
  • Have completed at least 5 years (or 1,500 days of insurance), of which at least 2 years (or 600 days of insurance) must be within the last 5 years before the date of onset of disability.
  • Have completed at least 1 year (or 300 days of insurance) and are under 21 years of age.

Applications for disability pension that were submitted from 1 January 2024 until the publication of Law 5157, Government Gazette 187/15-11-2024 and were rejected due to no previous interruption of employment, are entitled to be resubmitted within 6 months from the publication of the Ν. 5157 (Government Gazette 187/15-11-2024, article 43).

Full Disability Pension

Private sector

Patients suffering from Cystic Fibrosis with a disability rate of at least 67% and those who have undergone a lung transplant are entitled to a full old age pension due to disability under the Law. 612/1977 (Α΄ 164) , irrespective of the age limit, provided that they have completed 15 years or 4,050 days of insurance in the insurance organisations under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security Government Gazette 170/5-8-2011, article 37, par. 4, Ν. 3996/2011

Public Sector

Patients suffering from Cystic Fibrosis with a disability rate of at least 67% and those who have undergone lung transplantation are included in the special conditions of the decree 169/2007 (A΄ 210), article, par. 1 and are entitled to a full disability pension under Law 612/1977 (A 164) irrespective of the age limit, provided that they have completed 15 years full actual pensionable service in the public service Government Gazette A’235 /26-11-2020, article 45, Ν. 4756/2020 and Government Gazette 265/5-12-2006, article 3, paragraph 1, Law 3513/2006. In the public sector, the determination of the disability rate requires an examination by the by the ASYE health committee before the employee leaves the service.

  • A 15-year period of full and effective pensionable service without age limit is sufficient for a public pension, regardless of whether an official left the service by resignation or was dismissed for incapacity.
  • The pension to which civil servants are entitled is increased and corresponds to around 35 years of service. Together with the pension, they are entitled to a personal and non-transferable disability allowance.
  • The body that determines the type of condition and the degree of disability is the Supreme Army Health Committee (ASYE), which is based at the 401 Military Hospital.
  • The employee concerned must apply to the competent Directorate of Pensions of the General Accounting Office of the State (G.L.K.) for a referral to the Supreme Army Health Committee (ASYE) in order to obtain an opinion on the type of condition and the degree of disability. The application is made in person or by email at gd.sintaxeondt@efka.gov.gr
  • For the convenience of the ASYE Committee, it is advisable that the application be accompanied by the medical certificate of the CECA.
  • The competent Pensions Directorate shall issue a referral letter, which shall also be sent to the official concerned.
  • The official shall contact the ASYE to determine the time and place of the examination. Electronic appointments for ASYE: https://gramasye.army.gr/
  • When the examination of the staff member by the ASYE committee has been completed, the ASYE’s opinion is sent to the Pensions Directorate, which notifies the person concerned.
  • Once the person concerned has received the decision of the ASYE with the percentage of incapacity, he/she can start the retirement process at the relevant Personnel Department of his/her service.

🔹 Important: Before completing the procedure, the official shall must not initiate the separation procedure from the service.

Full Old Age Pension for Parents, Spouses, Sisters due to Disability

Parents, spouses and siblings of Cystic Fibrosis patients with a disability rate are entitled to a full disability retirement pension after 7,500 days of work or
25 years of insurance
 (actual or voluntary insurance time) from the date of their affiliation to the insurance scheme. (Government Gazette 170/5-8-2011, article 37, paragraph 1, Law 3996/2011)

The retirement age for parents, spouses, brothers and sisters of disabled patients is 55. For those who have completed 25 years of insurance up to 18/8/2015 and if it is established that the disability of the dependent family member existed up to that date, they continue to be eligible for retirement regardless of age. (Law 4336/2015, article 2, paragraph E, sub-paragraph E.3)

Disabled Orphaned Children's Pension

With the provisions of the law
N.5078/2023 (FEK 211/20-12-2023),
 regarding the pension for orphaned children with disabilities, the rules for granting a pension to bilaterally (who have lost both parents) orphaned children with severe disabilities are unified and the inequality between the private and public sectors is removed. Specifically, the new regulation explicitly extends to the public sector and the former NAT the application of the special regulation (already in force and applicable in cases where the deceased parent comes from the private sector) that provides that bilaterally orphaned children with severe disability receive 100% of their parents’ pension (from 50% under the current legislative framework).

Work for Pensioners

With the provisions of the law LAW 5078/2023 (OFFICIAL GAZETTE 211/20-12-2023 )  all pensioners of the e-EFKA (old age, disability, old age due to disability) can work without reducing their main and supplementary pension, in order to encourage their reintegration into the labour market. 

According to article 114 of the new law pensioners can work under the conditions of p. IKA and, in fact, without being charged with 10% deductions for EFKA.