Millions are wondering: Will there be a raise in holiday bonuses for retirees?

Millions of retirees are waiting for a potential decision by the government regarding a raise in holiday bonuses before the holidays. Although no official statement has been made yet, it is believed that a new assessment could be made in the coming days based on budget and inflation data.

Retirees are paid holiday bonuses twice a year, during Ramadan and Eid al-Adha. The bonus, which started at 1,000 TL in 2018, has been increased over the years:

2021: 1,100 TL

2023: 2,000 TL

2024: 3,000 TL with a 50 percent increase

Now, retirees are wondering whether there will be a new increase before the 2024 Ramadan holiday.

WILL THERE BE A RAISE IN RETIREE HOLIDAY BONUSES?

According to the inflation difference for the first 6 months of 2024, a 15.75 percent raise was applied to SSK and Bağ-Kur retiree pensions. If the same rate were to be reflected in holiday bonuses, the figure would rise to 3,472 TL.

However, there is talk behind the scenes that the bonus could be increased to at least 3,500 TL, or even up to the 4,500 TL level.

According to a report by Habertürk, AKP sources stated that there is currently no work being done regarding a raise in holiday bonuses. It was emphasized that the cost of the bonuses paid to approximately 16 million 650 thousand retirees is between 100 and 110 billion TL even in its current state.

While sources stated that the budget must be considered in the event of a possible increase, they said that the issue could come back to the agenda with the start of the month of Ramadan on March 1.