How do they benefit?/ Government scheme for pensioners who are heads of families

Pension beneficiaries, in addition to the amount determined by the social insurance, every month benefit from additional income that comes in several forms, such as compensations or reductions in various bills, mainly those of lights and water.

There are a series of government decisions dating from 1994 to 2019, when the last local tax exempting pensioners was introduced. "Beneficiaries of the family pension, in addition to the pension determined according to the provisions of law no. 7703 "On social insurance in the Republic of Albania", will also receive compensation for income and for price changes, according to the criteria defined in the decisions of the Council of ministers", is cited in the government's decision, which includes pensioners in the category of persons in need and for any change in prices or the tax system, excludes them from the increase or reimburses them.

This is how he has acted since the beginning of the time after the removal of the minimum consumption band of 300 kilos of electricity, and then in every other tax decision that leaves pensioners "unaffected". They are not few, but it is about an amount that exceeds 1,500 ALL per month, or 18,000 ALL per year for pensioners who do not enter the state budget.

It is not a question of all those who are treated with old-age pension, which in the country rank over 140 thousand. In the list of people who should be helped, the Council of Ministers has included pensioners who are heads of families. This means that in the register of civil status, he appears alone or with his wife, who must also be a pensioner.

If this condition is met, the elderly person can go to the offices of OSHEE and UKT, which serve as a tax agent for some local taxes and fees, to apply for compensation or reduction of obligations. More specifically, it is about compensation for electricity, which is a fixed amount of 648 Lek per month, as well as an average of 900 Lek from the housing tax (330 Lek), that for the educational infrastructure (150 Lek) and the cleaning fee (420 Lek). lek). It is not enough to be a pensioner to benefit from the avoidance of these obligations, but anyone who is entitled to benefit must apply.

With the identification document, he must prove that he belongs to the above-mentioned category so that his name is removed from the taxes levied through the water supply. The same is done with the lights, which come as an additional value in the amount of the monthly pension.