With the September pension that will be paid in October, more than 340.000 pensioners will receive an increase of 2.500 denars each. The Parliament adopted the legal amendments that enable this increase, outside of the legal methodology. The next such increase will be in March next year.

Although the increase in pensions has been talked about in the public for a long time in the past period, according to the reactions on social networks, it remained unclear to many pensioners whether this is a one-time increase, or whether it will be included in their base.

According to the legal amendments, when the old method of adjusting pensions is restored, from September 1, 2025, all pensions will already be increased by 5.000 denars, and thus the increased pension will be the basis for the adjustment to the cost of living and the increase in salaries.

– This is not a one-time pension increase. This increase is an integral part of pensions - the experts are decisive.

The provisions of the Law on Pension and Disability Insurance that refer to the adjustment of pensions according to the established methodology are put on hold, that is, they are not applied in the period from September 1, 2024 to August 31, 2025.

"On September 1, 2024, all types of pensions obtained in accordance with this law as of August 31, 2024, will increase by 2.500 denars. On March 1, 2025, all types of pensions obtained in accordance with this law as of February 28, 2025, are increased by MKD 2.500," the amended articles state.

Experts explain that if someone retires after August 31, for example on September 5, they cannot count on the pension increase of 2.500 denars, that is, they will have to wait for the increase of 2.500 denars that will happen next year.

According to the latest data, which refer to July, the average pension is 21.213 denars, and the September pension, according to the passed law, will be 23.713 denars. In June, 2.428 beneficiaries had the lowest pensions of MKD 13.192, which will now be MKD 15.692. The amount of the highest pension is 80.280 denars and 27 beneficiaries receive it, and with the increase in pensions from 2.500 denars, now they will receive 82.780 denars each.

According to the Ministry of Finance's explanations so far, in conditions where there are very low pensions, this is how their recipients are met. With the percentage adjustment, they would receive a small increase in pensions measured in hundreds of denars, unlike those with high pensions who would receive an increase measured in thousands of denars. This is a temporary way, and then the leveling will be done according to an established methodology, because, as many experts pointed out, the pension is an economic, not a social category and it depends on how much and how long someone allocated for pension contribution.

The provision for adjustment of pensions, which was put on hold, reads: "The adjustment of the old-age pension is carried out according to the movement of the cost of living index in the amount of 50 percent and the increase in the average salary paid to all employees in the Republic of North Macedonia in the amount of 50 percent".

If there is deflation, there will be no adjustment of pensions

With the new legal amendments, an answer was also given to the question - what if there is deflation. From September 2025, if instead of inflation, there is a reduction in the cost of living, then there will be no adjustment of pensions. However, according to all official forecasts, such a thing cannot be expected in the coming year.
"In the event that the increase in the cost of living has a negative sign, no adjustment of the pension is made," the amended law reads.