Many insured workers in our country dream of retiring and becoming pensioners. To qualify for retirement, certain conditions set by law must be met by the insured person. One important recent development is the Emeklilik 65 Yaş Kanunu (Retirement at Age 65 Law). In this article, we will examine that law and its implications.
Before diving into the 65-age pension law, it is helpful to review some basic information about retirement.
What Is Retirement and What Are the Requirements?
As you know, retirement is a right earned through the premiums paid during one’s working life. These premiums provide access to health services and build entitlement to the pension that will be paid upon retirement.
Eligibility for retirement can vary depending on the insured category under which a person is registered. In our country there are three main insurance categories: SSK, Bağ-Kur, and Emekli Sandığı. SSK covers employees who work for an employer. Bağ-Kur applies to self-employed individuals, craftsmen, and tradespeople. Emekli Sandığı is the pension system for civil servants who contribute premiums to retire.
While many people apply for retirement, it is possible in some cases to cancel a retirement request. For example, a civil servant who learns that their pension will be reduced to one-third of their current salary can choose to withdraw their retirement application before the process is finalized. This flexibility is one of the conveniences available to prospective retirees.
Age-65 Pension
Under the current system, there are specific conditions to receive the age-65 pension. The first requirement is that the applicant must be at least 65 years old. Another condition is that the applicant must have no other social security coverage. The person must not be receiving survivor or orphan pensions from the Social Security Institution and must not be employed. A further requirement is that the household income of the 65-year-old person must fall below a specified threshold. This threshold is set at one-third of the minimum wage.
When calculating this threshold, the total income of everyone in the household is first added together, then divided by the number of household members to determine the per-person income.
The recent amendment to the Emeklilik 65 Yaş Kanunu changes the last of these conditions. Previously, combining household incomes could create difficulties for applicants. For example, if grandchildren or adult children live in the same household, their incomes were included in the total household income. If those incomes rose, the age-65 pension could be cut.
With the new bill discussed in parliament and the subsequent amendment, that practice has been changed. Under the revised rules, when calculating eligibility for the age-65 pension, only the income of the applicant and their spouse is considered. As a result, any income increases from grandchildren or other household members will no longer affect the 65-year-old person’s pension.
This amendment to the Emeklilik 65 Yaş Kanunu is a significant support for elderly and impoverished people who are unable to work. The age-65 pension program, as described, covers specific groups who meet these conditions.
Applying for the Age-65 Pension under the 65-Age Law
To receive the age-65 pension under the Emeklilik 65 Yaş Kanunu, applicants must submit an application and provide certain documents. The required documents are as follows:
- Application Form for Old-Age Pension according to Law No. 2022
- Pension Request Petition. This petition must be completed and signed by the applicant.
- The Poverty Certificate included in the Pension Request Petition, to be filled out by local administrative boards.
- Certified copy of the civil registry with family records (vukuatlı nüfus kayıt örneği).
- If the pension request is filed by a guardian, a court-issued guardianship decision must be presented.
These are the documents required to apply for the age-65 pension under the Emeklilik 65 Yaş Kanunu. How the application is submitted is also important. If the applicant resides in a district, the form can be obtained from the District Finance Offices (Mal Müdürlükleri); if in a province, from the Provincial Finance Directorates (Defterdarlıklar) or the Social Security Directorate. The applicant must complete and sign the form and submit it to the relevant Finance Office or Directorate. After review, authorities decide whether the applicant is truly in need. If the decision is positive, the application is forwarded to the General Directorate of the Social Security Institution (SGK) for processing.
Once the documents have been processed, the applicant will receive the age-65 pension payment under the Emeklilik 65 Yaş Kanunu shortly after approval.