By Kostas Katikos
The decision to grant pensions to tens of thousands of EFKA debtors is ready to be signed.
Applications from interested parties will not be submitted through the usual procedure, but on a special EFLA platform that will open after mid-May as it is necessary to ensure interoperability between EFKA and KEAO for the overview of all debts and between EFLA and banks for control of deposits.
According to the final draft of the decision at his disposal Capital.gr the measure concerns those who have “general debts” to EFKA up to 30,000 euros, and to OGA up to 10,000 euros General debts (up to 30,000 euros) mean the total amount due from all kinds of insurance contributions, debts from recognition of fictitious insurance time, optional continuation of insurance, additional fees and other charges. OGA debts mean the total amount due from contributions for the main and additional insurance sector as well as for the optional continuation of insurance with OGA.
The pension that the debtors in question will receive will be equal to 40% of the normal one while the remaining 60% will be withheld until the debt of 30,000 euros falls to 20,000 euros and of 10,000 euros (for the OGA) falls to 6,000 euros.
Once the debt is established at 20,000 euros and 6,000 euros, the full amount of the pension will be granted, from which the remaining debt will be withheld in 60 installments.
In order for the debtors concerned to join the measure, they should:
*To have reached the age of 67 or 62 if they have 40 years of insurance (real, fictitious, optional insurance),
*To have paid the contributions corresponding to an insurance period of at least 20 years or 6,000 days of insurance and
*Their bank deposits should not exceed the amount of twelve thousand 12,000 euros for those who owe up to 30,000 euros to EFKA and the amount of 6,000 euros for those who owe only to OGA.
Especially for the amount of bank deposits, the amount of the total amount of deposits held in the debtor’s name on the date of submission of the application for inclusion in the regulation as well as the average of the last twelve months prior to the date of submission of the application for inclusion in the regulation is taken into account.
The debtors, when submitting the application for the issuance of a pension, should consent with their declaration, to the lifting of bank secrecy for the deposits they keep in their name.
The accounts to be checked will only be those that are in their name (main beneficiary) and not those that may be co-beneficiaries.
If during the month of submission of the application, or during the last 12 months, they have deposits of more than 12,000 euros or more than 6,000 euros (if it is the OGA), the pension application will be rejected.
Banks will provide EFKA with information on the type of deposit (e.g. savings, demand, term), the valuation date, the currency, the average of the last twelve months, any reserved amount (if any).
The new provision is estimated to initially cover 15,000 applications and if there are more then it is possible that the debt limit will increase and those who owe up to 40,000 euros will be included.
If the debts are over €30,000 in general or over €10,000 for the OGA, then a debt document will be notified and the insured will be asked to pay the excess amount (over €30,000 or €10,000) within two months so that the editorial version. If the deadline is missed, EFKA will reject the retirement application due to debts.
