Pensioners demand a dignified life
Statement by AKEL MP Andros Kafkalias and Chairman of the Parliamentary Labour, Welfare and Social Insurance Committee
1 March 2022
The preparatory session for the 23rd session of the House of Elders took place today. The main conclusion that can be drawn from today’s meeting is that there is still much to be done to achieve a positive direction to policies friendly to elderly people.
As AKEL, we have repeatedly stressed the need to improve the living standards of pensioners and ensure a dignified living for all elderly people. Among other things, we propose the following:
- Increasing the total incomes of pensioners so that no pensioner lives below the poverty line.
- Restoring the loss of income this year for those eligible of the low pensioner’s allowance due to last year’s small increase in pensions.
- Repeal the12% penalty on those opting to retire at 63.
- Revise the legislation for the provision of an allowance for pensioners on low income so that the student grant and the Cyprus Agricultural Payments Organisation KOAP are not counted as income.
- Lift the discrimination in the widow’s pension for men.
- Simplify and speed up the procedures for the examination and payment of pensions and the low income pensioner’s allowance.
- Improve the criteria for granting the Easter bonus so that more pensioners are entitled to it.
- Modernise the Law on Housing for the Elderly and Disabled and prepare legislation on Local Community Care to ensure satisfactory living conditions, quality of life and care in residential care homes for the elderly.
- Strengthen home care services.
As the Parliamentary Labour Affairs Committee, we decided to send letters to the relevant Ministries, on the basis of the requests made, demanding answers and solutions to the problems pensioners currently face.
