Pension reform: MinTrabajo clarified the additional December allowance for all pensioners

Contrary to the information circulating informally in social networks, the pension reform will not affect in any way the additional December allowance of pensioners. The Ministry of Labor clarified to pensioners that the benefit will be maintained without any alteration.

This was stated by the Vice Minister of Employment and Pensions, Iván Jaramillo, in his Twitter account. With his statement, it is confirmed that the additional allowance, which is traditionally granted in December to Colombian pensioners, will remain unchanged for the beneficiaries.

This means that the amount that pensioners expect to receive in December will not be affected or modified by the implementation of the pension reform.

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Pension reform: No more additional allowance for the holidays?

The confusion was created by the dissemination of several false messages through different social network platforms, in which it was reported that the pension reform bill will eliminate the additional allowance that pensioners in Colombia traditionally receive at the end of the year.

The Vice Minister of Employment and Pensions, Iván Jaramillo, assures that the bill contemplates the Christmas allowance and accepts it without altering it in any way. Thus, pensioners will continue to receive the amount as usual.

¡No crea en noticias falsas!
La mesada adicional de diciembre se mantiene para todos los pensionados y pensionadas del país.

La #ReformaPensional no deroga derechos ya adquiridos y además protege el derecho a la pensión de las futuras generaciones. pic.twitter.com/Fmd82mBVvM

— MinTrabajo (@MintrabajoCol) August 15, 2023

Jaramillo also makes an invitation to use the information resources available in the official site of the Ministry of Labor to access the official information on the pension reform -which of course includes everything related to the December allowance-, in order to prevent citizens from being victims of false news.

The Vice Minister of Employment and Pensions also stated that the bill approved by the Seventh Commission of the Senate of the Republic contemplates precisely the granting of this benefit.

According to Iván Jaramillo’s statements, Article 89 of the Pension Reform Bill states:

“ARTICLE 89. ADDITIONAL ALLOWANCE. Pensioners for old age or retirement, disability and substitution or survival shall continue receiving each year, together with the monthly payment for the month of November, in the first fortnight of the month of December, the amount corresponding to an additional monthly payment to their pension”.

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Pension reform in 10 points

These are some of the key points you should keep in mind about the pension reform. Please note that this information comes from the official site of the Ministry of Labor and, therefore, is supported by the official document of the bill.

1. The pension reform aims at a structural change in order to expand coverage.
2. It contemplates a basic income for senior citizens who do not receive a pension.
3. It broadens inclusion in the pension system to ensure that all people have access to a retirement benefit.
4. Maintains pension ages, i.e., 57 for women and 62 for men.
5. It opts to allocate Colpensiones funds to savings in order to ensure compliance with pension payments.
6. For those already in the system, the pension reform does not alter the previous conditions.
7. It incorporates a gender perspective by reducing by 50 weeks the requirements to access the pension for each child raised by a woman. This in cases of a maximum of 3 children.
8. Retirement for disabled beneficiaries will be strengthened.
9. The structural changes seek to strengthen Colpensiones. In addition, they show solidarity towards the elderly who are in a highly vulnerable situation.
10. Contributors who wish to increase their pension have the option of making voluntary savings.

If you have any doubts regarding the details of the pension reform, you can consult the official information on the Ministry of Labor’s website or read the bill at this link.

Finally, please note that the Ministry of Labor does not send mass information through WhatsApp channels or other social networks. Before sharing information, do not forget to verify its veracity by consulting the official website of MinTrabajo.

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