All the pensioners with low incomes will receive lump-sum payments of 1,600 lei this year. Those with incomes of up to 2,000 lei got by 700 lei in January, while those with incomes under 3,000 lei as of October 1 will receive by 900 lei, Socialist MP Vladimir Odnostalco was quoted by IPN as saying in a press briefing.
He noted that the double indexation mechanism works even if the foreign partners didn’t always support Socialists’ initiatives and even if the current opposition blocked the adoption of this law. “The Sandu Government simply refused to offer additional support to the population, arguing there is no money. We found funds and the opportunity to persuade the partners that this is necessary,” stated Vladimir Odnostalco.
The MP said among the support measures are the recalculation of pensions for pensioners who work, cold-month allowances and other payments, provision of free health insurance for pensioners who get pensions in other states. As the average pension as of January 1, 2020 was 1,468 lei, these payments come to a considerable amount.
On the initiative of President Igor Dodon, Parliament adopted the law on the restoration of the mechanism for indexing pensions two times a year. This year, despite the difficult conditions, the Government is dealing with the second indexation for all pensioners. To support the recipients of pensions and allowances with low incomes, it was decided to increase the income for receiving the lump sum from 2,000 to 3,000 lei.
In a TV program, PAS leader Maia Sandu, referring to this subject, said that Igor Dodon deceives the people with promises, but can do nothing good. In 2017, President Dodon promised indexation of 20%, but the indexation now is of only 1%. “The pensions are raised by only 19 lei. Dodon is unable to increase the pensions and does nothing of what he promised and the most serious thing is that the elderly people who live badly have to suffer further,” stated the politician.
The pensions this year are to be indexed twice: by 4.8% on April 1 and by 1.07% on October 1. Besides, the pensioners and recipients of allowances with incomes lower than 3,000 lei will get by 900 lei in lump sums. In April, these categories of people, with incomes under 2,000 lei a month, got by 700 lei.
