Greek lawmakers are set to vote Tuesday on legislation eliminating cuts to widow and widower pensions that had reduced payments after three years under a 2016 law, restoring benefits to their original level for thousands of families.
Labor Minister Niki Kerameos said the change reverses "a decade-long social injustice" created by the pension law passed under the previous Tsipras government.
Survivors whose pensions had already been cut from 70% to 35% of the original benefit will see them immediately restored to 70%, effectively doubling their payments.
More than 75,000 widow pensioners who had not yet had the cuts applied to them will be spared entirely, with the state permanently waiving any right to claw back retroactive payments. Ms. Kerameos said the reform was made possible by increased tax revenue from Greece's digital work card system and rising employment, which created the fiscal space needed without affecting the country's budget stability.
The legislation also ensures that pensioners who qualify for both their own pension and a survivor's pension will continue receiving both national pension components, rather than having one reduced, protecting an estimated 122,000 additional pensioners from cuts under the previous law.
Children who have lost both parents and qualify for survivor benefits from each will now receive a full national pension amount from each parent, rather than a reduced combined rate, effectively doubling the benefit for those children.
"We are eliminating a major social injustice that has burdened thousands of families for a decade," Ms. Kerameos said.
"We are restoring legal certainty and strengthening protections for families who lost a loved one, establishing a future of stability, security and mutual trust between citizens and the state."
The provisions are scheduled for a vote in Parliament's plenary session on Tuesday, July 21, 2026.