Romania's pension system grapples with legal delays, low payouts and inheritance reforms

Romanian courts have suspended several lawsuits seeking to have supplementary periods granted for hard‑labour work counted as contributory service until the Constitutional Court rules on the matter. The pending decision could affect pension increases of up to several hundred lei for some retirees.

Eurostat data show that more than half of the pensioners who continue working do so because their state pensions are insufficient; around 2.7 million Romanians receive less than 2,700 lei per month, prompting many to seek extra income.

The National Pension House announced that July pensions were transferred to beneficiaries’ bank cards a day earlier than the usual 12 July date, aiming to speed up payments.

A new law taking effect in 2027 clarifies that amounts accumulated in the compulsory private pension scheme (Pillar II) are inheritable. Legal heirs – spouses, children, parents or persons named in a will – may claim the funds by providing the required documentation, and the sums can be transferred to their own private pension accounts or paid out directly.