Greece's Unified Social Security Fund (EFKA) has announced the payment dates for October 2026 pensions, splitting disbursements across two dates depending on which insurance fund retirees previously belonged to.
The dates follow the usual rule separating salaried from non-salaried pensioners.
Payment dates for October pensions
On Friday, September 25, 2026, EFKA will pay main pensions from the former non-salaried funds OAEE, OGA and ETAA, main pensions awarded since EFKA's creation under Law 4387/2016 through the OPS-EFKA system covering both salaried and non-salaried insured persons from January 1, 2017 onward, and all private sector supplementary pensions for both salaried and non-salaried retirees.
On Tuesday, September 29, 2026, EFKA will pay main pensions from the former salaried funds IKA-ETAM, the bank employees' fund, OTE, DEI, other merged funds including TSEAPGSO and TSP-ISAP, NAT, ETAT and ETAP-MME, as well as the main and supplementary pensions of public sector employees.
EFKA is Greece's single social security organisation, formed by merging the country's main pension funds. OAEE previously insured self-employed professionals, OGA covered farmers, and ETAA served engineers, doctors and lawyers. IKA-ETAM was the largest fund for private sector employees, while OTE and DEI are Greece's telecoms operator and Public Power Corporation, and NAT is the seamen's pension fund.
Pension increases expected to trail inflation
According to reporting by iEidiseis.gr, pensioners are expected to see losses of 1.35% on main pensions and up to 3.3% on supplementary pensions next year, equivalent to about 300 euros on average annually, following the introduction of a new benefit.
The adjustments for 2027 will once again fall short of official inflation, which is running at around 3.3% on an average annual basis this year, despite hitting 3.8% in August and 5.4% last May. This is because the formula applied grants half of average annual inflation, put at 3.3% this year, plus half of GDP growth, at about 1.9% on average in 2026, the same rate recorded in August.
That calculation will produce nominal pension increases of 2.6%.
However, these adjustments are subject to a 6% health contribution and 20% tax on monthly payments between 833 and 1,667 euros.
As a result, the net increase will be limited to 1.95% once inflation of 3.3% is factored in, with losses on main pensions alone running at around 1.35%. At the same time, for a fifth consecutive year, supplementary pensions for 1.3 million beneficiaries will not be adjusted at all.
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