The planned benefit, which would provide extra money to those affected through the pensioner’s SZÉP card, could bring tangible relief to many pensioners. The essence of the scheme is that it would not be a uniform, equal pension increase for everyone, but rather targeted support distributed in bands: those living on lower pensions could receive a larger amount, those with medium pensions would be placed in a smaller support category, and those receiving benefits over half a million forints per month would be left out according to current plans.
According
to Azénpénzem.hu calculations, approximately 1.28 million pensioners could fall into the higher support band, while slightly more than 1.05 million people could fall into the lower amount category. This means that the pensioner SZÉP card could affect more than 2 million people in total, but not to the same extent. According to the TISZA pension program, the pensioner SZÉP card would be granted to those whose monthly pension is below 500 thousand forints, and the support could be used for food, medicine, rest, and vacation.
This is
not a cash pension increase.
The most important difference is worth clarifying right away: the pensioner
A SZÉP card is not the same as a permanent pension increase. If someone’s pension is increased, that amount is incorporated into the monthly benefit, and subsequent increases can also be added to this higher base. The SZÉP card benefit, on the other hand, would be a targeted subsidy: the amount of the monthly pension would not increase per se, but the beneficiaries would receive a separate card limit that they could use for
specific purposes.
Therefore, it would be misleading to interpret it as if every pensioner would regularly receive more money built into their pension. The plans are rather that the extra amount appearing on the card would alleviate some of the everyday expenses.
Who can be placed in the higher support band?
The planned system would focus on the amount of the monthly pension. The higher support band would include those whose monthly benefit is below 250,000 forints. For them, an annual SZÉP card support of 200,000 forints was
discussed.
According to the summary of the Money Center, those living on a pension of less than 250 thousand forints would receive the 200 thousand forints per year
amount, while pensioners with between 250 and 500 thousand forints would be in the lower bracket. This higher category could be especially meaningful for those who plan their money strictly from month to month. For someone living on a pension of 180–220 thousand forints, every extra forint counts, in addition to food, medicine, utilities, transportation and healthcare expenses.
According to Azénpénzem.hu’s
