Starting in 2027, all professions not associated with regular risks to health and life will be excluded from the circle of early retirement pension recipients. The changes will not affect those already employed in early retirement professions, but they will face higher requirements for years of service and potentially adjusted pension amounts, according to an information report on reforming the early retirement pension system, which the government conceptually supported on Tuesday.
Professions planned to be excluded include prosecutors, judges (who will be granted a special pension), diplomats, ballet artists, puppet theater actors, circus artists, choir singers, orchestra musicians, solo vocalists, theater actors (with retraining support in other professions), as well as all positions where job duties are not associated with regular health and life risks, including support functions, according to the State Chancellery’s proposal. This will apply only to those who begin working in these professions after the end of 2026.
At the same time, the proposal provides that persons already serving or employed in early retirement professions as of the 1st of January, 2027 (except those who by that date have already acquired the right to early retirement pensions) will gradually see an increase in the minimum age and length of service required to qualify.
The proposal also provides for excluding the last two months of employment from the pension calculation,
aligning the procedure with rules currently applied for other types of benefits.
For individuals who by the 1st of January, 2027 will have accumulated less than 10 years of early retirement service, the pension calculation formula will be revised: pensions will be calculated based on earnings during a 120-month period ending two months prior to leaving employment.
In addition, minimum and maximum pension levels for these individuals will be reduced by 10 to 20 percentage points, including a five-point reduction if the person is discharged or released from service.
For those beginning work after the reform takes effect, service time in the private sector may be counted toward early retirement service, but no more than 20% of the total. Early retirement pensions will be paid only until the general retirement age is reached. After that, early retirement pensions will cease, and the individual will receive a standard old-age pension based on social insurance contributions.
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