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Victoria Mindova

A new census of pensioners has been announced by the Ministry of Employment and Social Security, having proved that billions were withdrawn from the state insurance funds by filing dead people. In verifying the accuracy of the data, the Greek authorities will rely on the help of the Hellenic Banks Association, the Auditors and the General Directorate of Information Systems at the Ministry of Finance.

In the next two months, around 480,000 pensioners who worked in public administration will have to appear in local bank branches in person to prove their existence. Pensioners will receive a registration code that they will have to show the bank to receive their pensions. The census of pensioners will continue from 15 March to 15 May this year. Those, who do not show the registration number before the deadline, will stop receiving pension as of June this year.

"I received the census notice early this week and I will re-register when I get my pension on 23 March but I find the whole process a little insulting. They cut our pensions, count us as sheep, and do not catch the scammers who withdrew billions from the country," Penelope from the Galatsi neighbourhood in Athens expressed her indignation. She receives part of the pension of her husband, who was a civil servant years ago, but died young. The retired woman is clear that without the help of her children she will not be able to cope with the higher costs during the crisis. "They are constantly reducing pensions and wages and prices continue to increase," she complained. Mrs. Penelope believes that the current census of pensioners from the public sector will not help the state find fake pensions. She said if anyone had bothered to forget a pension, this person would find a way to circumvent this check with the registration numbers. The retired woman said her pension had been cut by 100 euro, but she is sure that when the second memorandum enters into force, her pension will be further cut. "If the government was doing its job correctly, not allowing withdrawal of money from various social funds through frauds, then it would not be necessary to cut money from elderly people today. We have conscientiously paid our contributions throughout our lives and now, we cannot get what we have worked for and we are considered scammers presumably."

This week, the Ministry of Employment and Social Security announced a case of a Greek citizen who was receiving had been receiving illegal pension from 1978 to the present day. In such cases, the culprits will be prosecuted and the money obtained illegally is to be returned to the state. The Ministry believes that it could save 1.5 billion from suspending the illegal pensions and collect about 2.5 billion euro in fines imposed on violators.