The head of the National House of Social Insurance Valentina Buliga said that about 453,000 elderly people benefited from a 10% raise in pensions as of this January. About 400 million lei was allocated for the purpose from the state budget, IPN reports.

Valentina Buliga said the pensions lower than the minimum subsistence level of 1,589 lei were increased automatically and no application was needed on the part of beneficiaries.

There were also reexamined the pensions of those who worked after retirement. “In 2019, those who worked for over 15 years after retirement and had the pension set before 1999 will have the pension recalculated. The necessary funds were transferred to the National House of Social Insurance and applications should be filed in this regard. About 2,200 pensions who meet these conditions submitted applications and from February 1 they will benefit from higher pensions calculated according to the new formula,” stated Valentina Buliga.

According to her, over 5,000 persons are projected to benefit from the recalculation of pensions.

Vasile Cușca, division head at the Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Protection, said the persons with disabilities whose pension is lower than the minimum subsistence level will also benefit from a 10% rise in pensions. Those who do not get pensions receive allowances that in 2018 were increased by up to 20%. “By the reform we promoted, the social welfare for children with disabilities and persons with childhood disabilities was raised to the level of the minimum disability pension,” stated the functionary.

The pensions that were lower than the minimum subsistence level of 1,589 lei on January 1, 2019 were raised by 10%.