With Ramadan beginning on March 23, retirees have been wondering how much the holiday bonus will be. To clarify, AK Party Deputy Group Chair Mustafa Elitaş announced the amount of the retirement holiday bonus. It was stated that about 15 million people — including SSK and Bağkur retirees as well as those eligible under the EYT arrangement — will benefit from the increased bonus. How much is the retirement holiday bonus? When will the increased retirement holiday bonus be paid, and on what date? You can find answers to all these questions in the rest of this article.
When Will the Retirement Holiday Bonus Be Paid?
No official payment date has been announced yet. There have been no statements from responsible authorities or the minister. As in previous years, the increased retirement holiday bonuses are expected to be deposited into accounts before Eid al-Fitr, around April 21.
How Much Is the Retirement Holiday Bonus?
According to Minister Elitaş, the holiday payment previously set at 1,100 TL for both Ramadan and Eid al-Adha has been increased by 900 TL to reach 2,000 TL. Thus, retirees will receive a total of 4,000 TL across the two holidays. The increased holiday bonus, which will also cover retirees under the EYT scope, will benefit roughly 15 million citizens and represents a 900 TL rise compared with 2022.
At the same time, there is public discussion about adjustments to pension amounts. Under the proposed law now before Parliament, pending presidential approval and publication in the Official Gazette, no pension in Turkey will be below 7,500 TL. This follows current increases that have raised certain pensions to 5,500 TL and adjustments for those receiving 6,000 TL.
This update is intended to provide financial relief for retirees. The minister also noted that the minimum pension was introduced into the system in 2019 to address hardships faced by some Bağ-Kur contributors whose payments had fallen below 1,000 TL under earlier regulations, and that measure was aimed at eliminating that injustice.
EYT Beneficiaries Will Also Receive the Holiday Bonus
Minister Bilgin stated that the work on minimum pensions and the holiday bonus will include those who retired under the EYT regulation. He commented: “I hope our proposals will receive positive consideration from the President. This measure will bring significant relief to retirees’ lives.”