Khaberni - Written by the expert in insurance and social protection, legal advisor Musa Al-Subaihi:
Since the beginning of this year, 2025, I have been demanding an increase in the basic minimum salary of the social security pension in accordance with Article (89 / A) of the Social Security Law, as more than five years have passed since the last adjustment was made to the minimum retirement pension salary.
Unfortunately, what I demanded was not responded to, although it was a legal entitlement. This reminds me of what I had demanded when I was in my position at the Social Security Institution more than ten years ago, stressing the necessity of raising the basic minimum of retirement pension and ailment pension, which had not been reconsidered since 1993 (until the date of that demand) and my requests were not responded to until I submitted a second legal memo, and perhaps a third one in 2019 (I keep a copy of it) which, thankfully, led to the raising of the minimum retirement pension in that year and was adjusted in the year 2020 to what it is currently.
Today, after six years have passed since the aforementioned decision to increase, I repeat the call for the enforcement of this legal entitlement, which was supposed to have been implemented at the beginning of this year, and what we now hope is that the minimum retirement pension will be raised starting from 1-1-2026 according to the proposal I previously submitted, as follows:
First: The basic minimum salary for old-age pensions, early retirement pensions, and partial natura and injury disability pensions should be raised from the current minimum of (125) JD to (150) JD.
Second: The basic minimum salary for natural death retirement pensions, injury death retirement pensions, and total natura and injury disability pensions should be raised from the current minimum of (160) JD to (200) JD.
I remind you that adopting this proposal will lead to improving very low pensions (below the subsistence level) for about (96) thousand pensioners.
In my view, the annual cost of such an increase will not exceed about (33) million JD, which is a reasonable and affordable cost.
Therefore, I hope that the management of the Social Security Institution considers this proposal and raises it to the board of the institution for approval and recommends it to the Cabinet, which has the authority to make the decision to increase.
I also suggest that the institution includes in its budget for the next year 2026 the necessary allocation to enforce the decision to raise the minimum retirement pension. Thus, it would have contributed effectively to rescuing the mentioned number of pensioners and their families from the mire of poverty and need.
If we count the number of family members of these pensioners whose living conditions can be improved and who can be rescued from poverty and subsistence, the number might reach about half a million citizens.
The issue is worthy of consideration, planning, and decision-making without the slightest hesitation or delay.
(An informative and voluntary series addressing issues of social security and protection, with legislation as the basis and reference- allowed to be transferred, shared, or quoted for awareness and research purposes with reference to the source).
