Lawmakers still disagree on pension hikes

GREATER FREQUENCY: Pension benefits should not just be reviewed every two years, shortened from the current four, but adjusted every two years, a TPP lawmaker said

• By Sam Garcia / Staff writer, with CNA

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The legislature’s Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee yesterday referred proposed amendments to the National Pension Act (國民年金法) to cross-party negotiations amid disagreements on how much to raise pension benefits.

While ruling and opposition party lawmakers agreed that pension benefits should be reviewed every two years, they remained divided over how much monthly benefits should be increased.

The Executive Yuan’s proposed amendments call for raising monthly pension benefits for seniors, family survivors and indigenous peoples to NT$5,000 and disability benefits to NT$6,715, while requiring that pension benefits be reviewed every two years, down from the current four-year requirement.

Lawmakers who are on the legislature’s Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee pose for a photo yesterday after reviewing a bill in the Legislative Yuan building in Taipei yesterday.

Photo: CNA

The Cabinet’s proposal would also require adjustments to be announced immediately if the consumer price index rises by 3 percent or more since the previous adjustment.

The committee reviewed the bill on March 19 and July 22, but failed to reach a consensus, with Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), Democratic Progressive Party and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) legislators proposing different benefit hikes.

The proposed senior pensions ranged from NT$6,000 to NT$8,000, up from NT$3,500, while proposed disability pensions ranged from NT$8,000 to NT$12,000, up from NT$4,700.

The Executive Yuan’s proposal would increase pensions by 23.5 percent, aligned with adjustments to six major social welfare allowances, including farmers’ pensions, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Lu Chien-te (呂建德) told reporters after the meeting.

While lawmakers’ desire to secure better benefits is understandable, raising pensions independently of other social welfare programs could raise concerns about fairness, Lu said.

KMT legislators Tu Chuan-chi (涂權吉) and Liao Wei-hsiang (廖偉翔) supported the party’s proposal, saying that international developments such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have fueled severe inflation in the past few years.

The benefits of the nation’s economic growth should be shared by everyone, they said, calling for more frequent pension reviews and higher benefits to support disadvantaged groups.

TPP Legislator Chiu Hui-ju (邱慧洳) said pensions should not just be reviewed every two years, but adjusted every two years.

KMT Legislator and committee convener Chen Ching-hui (陳菁徽) said the committee had completed its review and referred the unresolved provisions to cross-party negotiations.