Iran’s Social Security Organization Launches Major Pension Enhancement Initiative
In a significant move to bolster social welfare, Iran’s Social Security Organization (SSO) has commenced the second phase of a comprehensive pension adjustment program. This initiative, a cornerstone of the government’s social policy, directly benefits millions of retirees and underscores a commitment to preserving citizens’ purchasing power and expanding healthcare coverage.
A Vast Network of Social Protection
The SSO stands as a pillar of Iran’s social safety net, providing direct and indirect services to over 48 million individuals, equating to approximately 53% of the country’s population. Its extensive coverage includes 16.5 million primary insured persons and 22.4 million dependents. Furthermore, the organization supports nearly 5 million primary pensioners and 3.9 million dependent pensioners through a wide array of financial commitments, including retirement and disability pensions, unemployment benefits, and assistance for marriage and burial costs.
Multi-Year Pension Adjustment Strategy
A central achievement has been the execution of a pension adjustment plan based on Article 96 of the Social Security Law. As mandated by the country’s seventh development plan, the SSO is implementing a three-year strategy to ensure non-minimum wage retirees receive 90% of their due ratios. The program commenced with a 40% adjustment in its first year, followed by 30% increments in the subsequent two years. To date, this initiative has resulted in monthly payments totaling 3,200 billion tomans to more than 1.7 million pensioners.
Safeguarding Retirees’ Standard of Living
A critical focus has been on protecting retirees from inflation and maintaining their purchasing power. Special allocations from the national budget for the previous year were designated for pensioners whose adjustments were less than 10% of the minimum wage set by the Supreme Labor Council. These payments were distributed based on a specific ratio according to years of insurance coverage, ensuring targeted and equitable support.
100% Coverage for Medical Assistive Devices
In a major expansion of healthcare benefits, the SSO has increased its coverage for over 100 types of medical assistive devices to 100%. This enhancement, which began last year and was fully realized this past summer, allows insured individuals, pensioners, and their dependents to benefit fully from subsidies for these essential items.
Enhanced Healthcare Services and Transformational Projects
The organization’s proprietary hospitals performed over 517,000 surgical procedures last year. Beyond its direct facilities, the SSO’s network also supports a vast array of services through over 21,000 private dental clinics and offices.
Concurrently, the SSO is advancing 20 transformational projects aimed at smartening services, developing digital platforms, designing new systems, and revolutionizing financial resource management. Key goals include improving organizational cohesion and transparency. The launch of a new building for the 1420 public call center and systems for informing employers of installment debts are among the recent steps that have boosted service quality and user satisfaction.
Collectively, these measures represent a concerted effort by the SSO to enhance the livelihood of retirees and continuously improve its service delivery to the Iranian people.
