Mexico Supreme Court upholds IMSS pension cap

The Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN) unanimously upheld a cap on total pension payments for workers of the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS) who receive both a retirement pension and a disability pension for work‑related injury. The limit, set at the salary level of the highest IMSS category “Médico Familiar 8.0 horas,” was declared constitutional and compatible with international human‑rights treaties. Minister President Hugo Aguilar Ortiz explained that the limit “guarantees both the right to a dignified life and the financial viability of the pension system.”

The case originated from a lawsuit by former IMSS employees who challenged articles 4 and 5 of the institute’s pension regime after a federal labor board ordered additional disability benefits. The Court rejected the challenge, emphasizing the need to balance pension rights with public‑finance sustainability. The decision also touched on related debates about Afore fund reimbursements, but the central ruling concerned the IMSS pension cap.

The ruling impacts thousands of dual‑benefit pensioners across Mexico and sets a precedent for how pension schemes may impose reasonable financial limits while respecting workers’ rights.