Social Insurance Benefits Are Based on Payment Rate, Payment Time, And Sharing Among Social Insurance Policyholders

2:53:40 PM | 6/28/2023

According to current regulations, the level of social insurance benefits is calculated on payment rate, payment time and sharing among social insurance policyholders. Therefore, many retirees receive relatively high pensions because they pay a lot of social insurance for a long time. As of April 2023, 471 people receive pensions of VND20 million or more, according to the Vietnam Social Security (VSS).

Currently, Mr. P.P.N.T living in Ho Chi Minh City receives the country's highest pension of more than VND124 million a month. Before his retirement, he was the Chairman of the Council of Members cum General Director of a company. In April 2015, he retired with a monthly pension of more than VND87.3 million. After five adjustments by the State, by June 2023, his pension was VND124,714,600 a month.

To get the current pension, he paid social insurance premiums for over 23 years. Before 2007 when the regulation on using actual salary to determine insurance levels was enacted (the amount of social insurance payment was not limited by the so-called ceiling), his social insurance premium was very large. Sometimes, his average monthly salary was more than VND200 million.

When the Law on Social Insurance 2006 took effect, the maximum monthly salary ceiling for compulsory social insurance payment was equal to 20 months of the universal minimum salary (or base salary). Accordingly, from January 2007 to March 2015, he always paid social insurance premiums at the highest rate in the given bracket, at VND15.4 million a month. Nearly two years before his retirement (the base salary was VND1.15 million per month at that time), his salary used to calculate the monthly social insurance payment was VND23 million.

According to VSS, 471 people receive pensions of VND20 million or more as of April 2023, including 382 people receiving from VND20 million to less than VND30 million a month; 80 people receiving from VND30 million to less than VND50 million; and nine cases receiving VND50 million upwards. These people used to work for private companies, joint venture companies and foreign-invested firms in Vietnam. They paid very high social insurance before 2007 or up to the highest allowable level of 20 times of the base salary after 2007.

Currently, the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs introduced a draft circular on guidance for adjustment of pensions, social insurance benefits and monthly allowances, which will be revised from July 1, 2023.

By Vietnam Business Forum