With the Ramadan month beginning on March 23, retirees have been asking when the holiday gratuity will be paid. To clarify these questions, the Ministry of Labor and Social Security announced the payment schedule for pensions and bonuses. Approximately 15 million people, including retired SSK and Bağ-Kur members and those covered by the early retirement law (EYT), will benefit from the increased holiday bonus. How much is the retirement holiday bonus? When will the increased bonus be paid, and on what dates? You can find the answers in the rest of this article.
When Will the Retirement Holiday Bonus Be Paid?
Pension payments will begin being distributed starting tomorrow. Accordingly, for those within the Social Security Institution (SGK) whose scheduled payment dates are April 17, 18, 19, and 20, both their monthly pension and the holiday bonus will be paid tomorrow. Those with payment dates of April 21, 22, and 23 will receive payments on April 15. Pensioners whose monthly payments fall on April 24, 25, or 26 will have their monthly pension and bonus deposited on April 16.
Under the Bağ-Kur system, those with payment dates on the 25th and 26th will receive their monthly pension and holiday bonus on April 17. Pensioners with payment dates on the 27th and 28th will have funds deposited on April 18. Retired civil servants receiving pensions through the Emekli Sandığı will receive their Ramadan holiday bonuses on April 19. At the same time, eligible EYT beneficiaries in this group will receive their first pension payments.
How Much Is the Retirement Holiday Bonus?
According to a previous announcement by Minister Elitaş, the holiday payment made to retirees for both Ramadan and Eid al-Adha, previously 1,100 TL, has been increased by 900 TL to reach 2,000 TL. The minister also noted that the minimum pension scheme was introduced in 2019 to address disadvantages faced by Bağ-Kur members whose pensions fell below 1,000 TL due to earlier legal arrangements. With these changes, retirees will receive a total of 4,000 TL across the two religious holidays.
Ramadan holiday bonuses—benefiting around 15 million citizens, including those covered by the EYT—have risen by 900 TL compared with 2022. At the same time, adjustments were made to raise certain pensions up to 5,500 TL, while questions remain in public discussion about the situation of those receiving 6,000 TL pensions. The proposed law passed by Parliament and approved by the President, once published in the Official Gazette, would ensure no retiree in Turkey receives less than 7,500 TL. This update is intended to provide financial relief for retirees.