The Social Security Institution (SGK) has taken a new step in its automation system and introduced an application designed to reduce bureaucratic procedures within the infrastructure. With this update, SGK’s new software modules will enable automatic adjustments (intibak) to pensions and benefits when a beneficiary’s status changes, without requiring a formal application.
New Convenience Period from SGK
To verify that the benefits and pensions paid to insured persons and beneficiaries comply with relevant legislation, SGK uses the 4/A Coverage program for those under the SSK scheme and the 4/B Coverage program for Bağkur participants. In addition, Emektar programs perform necessary checks for both statuses. These programs are periodically updated with new features to reflect changes in beneficiaries’ circumstances.
In this context, SGK circulated an internal notice outlining the recent updates to these programs. The directive asked that records listed by the programs first be checked for eligibility for income or pension rights, and that, if those persons are already receiving income or a pension from another file, compliance with relevant legislation be verified. The notice emphasized that these checks should be completed promptly and accurately in accordance with current rules.
To reduce bureaucratic delays and prevent improper payments, the notice instructed that when records sent to the Emektar programs indicate that dependent children have graduated or reached the qualifying age and their pensions cease, the shares of other legal beneficiaries should be adjusted accordingly. It also required that the share adjustments for spouse beneficiaries be reviewed and completed quickly within the relevant payment period without waiting for any written request.
No Application Required
Under the new rules, beneficiaries will no longer need to submit a written application for changes in beneficiary status; updates will be made automatically. For example, if a mother and daughter are receiving a survivor’s pension from the same file and the daughter gets married, the mother’s pension will be increased automatically without a written request. Alongside this survivor’s pension increase convenience, when children who are studying graduate, their survivor’s pensions will be terminated; if only one person remains on the file, the remaining mother’s pension will be increased to reflect that change.
Incorrectly Assigned Pensions Will Be Cut
The update also allows for the removal of incorrectly assigned incomes and pensions. As is known, pensions and incomes obtained from the Emekli Sandığı (Civil Servants’ Pension Fund) are not combined with those from other schemes when calculating multiple benefits. For example, a person employed under 4A (SSK) might still be receiving a survivor’s pension from Emekli Sandığı due to a parent.
Additionally, when survivor’s pensions are assigned to parents because of their children, those parents must not already be receiving another income or pension. Receiving survivor’s pensions for multiple children is permitted. For SSK and Bağkur categories there is generally no ambiguity about these rules; however, provincial directorates have sometimes shown uncertainty for those covered by Emekli Sandığı, and checks have revealed incorrectly assigned pensions.
It was discovered that some individuals receiving a pension from Emekli Sandığı were also being granted survivor’s pensions because of their children. The internal notice stressed that parents who receive income from another institution are not eligible for an additional survivor’s pension. Following the system update, pensions for those found in this situation will be terminated.