Greek pensioners face four‑year delay in retroactive payments

Around 370,000 Greek pensioners have taken legal action to claim retroactive benefits for an 11‑month period (June 2015 – May 2016). To date only about 20,000 recipients have received the payments, which are subject to a 6 % interest rate.

The delays, which can extend up to four years, are attributed to extensive bureaucracy, a slow recalculation of old pensions under the Broust law, and the scheduling of credits by the e‑EFKA system. Approximately 200,000 cases remain unresolved, with many court decisions still pending. For this group, the first payments are not expected before 2027. The process requires a positive court ruling, issuance of a certificate of final judgment, and extensive administrative verification before funds are released, often complicating matters for heirs of deceased beneficiaries.