Greece's Widows' Pension Law Still Unresolved After 7 Years
A long-standing issue in Greece's social security system remains unresolved. Despite a law passed in 2016, many private sector beneficiaries continue to receive a full 70% of their widows' pensions, even after the first three years, when they should only get 35%.
The Katrougalos law, named after the then-minister, was designed to reduce these pensions to 35% if the beneficiary works or receives their own pension. However, this reduction has not been applied consistently. Initially, it was implemented only for state beneficiaries, not those from the private sector, creating a controversial discrepancy.
The minister of labor responsible for enforcing this law since 2016 has not done so. None of the sources specify which minister of labor has failed to address this issue. The lack of political will to tackle this problem has made it increasingly difficult to resolve.
The non-implementation of the Katrougalos law continues to be one of the most contentious social security issues in Greece. Many private sector beneficiaries still receive 70% of their widows' pensions, even when they should only get 35%. The minister of labor has not enforced the law since 2016, and no minister wishes to address the issue, leaving the problem unresolved.
