Expert calculates 'insufficient pension': Those receiving the same salary paid different premiums

Pensions remaining below the minimum wage have caused great disappointment among the public. Experts emphasized that the lowest pension, set at 14,469 TL, is unfair for retirees who have paid premiums for many years.

İsa Karakaş stated that retirees who paid premiums for 3,600 days and those who paid for 9,000 days receive the same salary, noting that the social security system leads to injustice and requires reform.

He expressed that the continuation of the system in this manner will cause long-term damage. Turkey had been focused on pension hikes and the minimum wage for several months. The resulting figures have not satisfied either group.

Speaking to TGRT Haber and performing a calculation based on the current minimum wage, an experienced expert emphasized a "justice deadlock in the retirement system." According to İsa Karakaş's calculation, someone who works and pays premiums for 9,000 days receives the same salary as someone who works for 3,600 days.

Karakaş's statements and calculations are as follows:

"When will social security reform be carried out? Will there be a regulation regarding giving higher pensions to those who work more and paying higher retirement salaries to those who pay more premiums? These are, rightfully, the questions our retirees are most curious about. From the beginning, while talking about welfare shares and flat raises for retirees, as we have been saying for months, action was taken only regarding the base salary issue. Once again, the status quo was not broken. The lowest base pension was equalized at 14,469 liras.

When we look at it, we are now moving towards a single-type pension as we come down from the top. In fact, the lowest-paid civil servants will soon join this base salary issue. That is, they will enter into this base salary. Because theirs is declining even more. Since the salary raises given are far below the inflation rate of TÜİK, they will also rapidly enter into this base salary. Therefore, unfortunately, such a situation exists.

Now, of course, we want higher money and higher salaries to be given to our citizens with the lowest salaries. However, it is a requirement of the SGK system that you should be given a salary according to how much money you have paid.

'THOSE WHO WORK 3,600 DAYS AND THOSE WHO WORK 9,000 DAYS RECEIVE THE SAME SALARY'

At the point we have reached, I made a calculation. A very interesting result emerged. I made a calculation based on the current minimum wage. Therefore, for a person working on minimum wage with 3,600 days of premiums, as an example;

How much has a person who paid SGK premiums for 10 years and paid with 3,600 days of premiums paid to the SGK? The answer based on today's minimum wage: 436,800 TL.

How much has someone who paid premiums on minimum wage for 9,000 days paid? 1 million 92 thousand TL. (The difference: 655,200 TL)

Now, have some mercy; one citizen pays 1 million 92 thousand TL, and in return, the salary is 14,469 TL.

The other has paid almost 1/3 of the premiums, 436,800 TL. You are giving this person the same salary.

Therefore, the equalization made while equalizing is unfair, contrary to justice, and contrary to equity. It is an event contrary to reason and logic, and unfortunately, despite us saying it many times, we do not see any effort for correction.

They have fixated on the lowest pension as the base salary, saying we will raise the base salary to this point; we are going back and forth with a rote approach. If we continue with a rote approach, the SGK system will break. People are now saying, 'Why should I pay 9,000 days of premiums?' Instead, they say, 'I will pay the premiums required for partial retirement, which is half the month.'

Now, Bağ-Kur members are saying, 'Instead of paying 9,000 days of premiums, let me pay 5,400 days.' Because they receive the same salary. As of today, I can say that those covered by SSK have started to say, 'Instead of 7,000 or 7,200 days of premiums, let me pay 4,500 or 5,000 days of premiums and retire that way.'

Neither the retirees nor the SGK wins here. Because since people pay fewer premiums and withdraw from the system, where will the SGK get its income?

Regarding social security reform, there should be a rewarding system for those who work more. When we look at the plans and programs of the SGK and the government, we need to transition to systems that encourage and therefore increase staying in the system in terms of retirement.

This is in the government's plans and programs. It has always been included, but it has not been put into action. The parameters used in pension calculations should be in a program that encourages staying in employment. The retirement salary must be attractive so that the person stays in the system.

After the EYT in 2023, unfortunately, due to the system that leads to avoiding employment rather than staying in employment, and the 30 percent drop, people were forced to leave the system. Unfortunately, there is still no sign that this will be corrected. I am following this at the level of both the ministry and the government, as well as the SGK and the Parliament. I see that there is no concrete work."