Cases eligible for social insurance compensation to be eligible for pension benefits
Many important policies are creating conditions for workers to complete their social insurance contribution period, thereby meeting the conditions to receive pensions.
The 2024 Law on Social Insurance (effective from July 1, 2025) has expanded the opportunity to receive pensions by reducing the minimum contribution period from 20 years to 15 years, and at the same time clearly stipulates cases where compensation or one-time contributions are allowed for the remaining period.
Close once for a maximum missing time of 6 months
For those who are participating in compulsory social insurance, if they have reached retirement age but the amount of social insurance contribution is not too short, the law allows one-time contributions to receive a pension immediately.
Conditions of application: Employees who have reached retirement age but the compulsory social insurance contribution period is still less than 6 months to be eligible for pension.
Equal to the total contribution of employees and employers before resigning to the pension and survivorship fund.
Time of contribution: The earliest is the month immediately preceding the month eligible for pension.
Legal basis: Clause 7, Article 33 of the 2024 Social Insurance Law; Clause 2, Article 12 of Circular 12/2025/TT-BNV.
Close once for a maximum missing time of 5 years
This is a policy to help people participating in voluntary social insurance or people who switched from compulsory social insurance have the opportunity to receive pensions when they are old.
Conditions of application: Participants who have reached retirement age according to regulations but the social insurance contribution period is not less than 5 years (60 months) are entitled to one-time contribution for 15 years (according to the new Law) or 20 years (according to transitional regulations) to receive a pension.
Contribution level: Calculated by the total contribution level of the remaining months, applying gross interest equal to the average monthly investment interest rate of the social insurance fund of the immediately preceding year.
Time of enjoyment: Calculated from the first day of the month immediately following the month of paying the full amount for the remaining years.
Legal basis: Point e, Clause 2, Article 36 of the 2024 Law on Social Insurance; Article 7 of Decree 159/2025/ND-CP; Clause 6, Article 5 of Circular 11/2025/TT-BNV.
Compensation after suspension of suspension
In case businesses and employees encounter objective difficulties, the law allows temporary suspension of payment and then compensation must be paid.
Case 1: Employers who encounter difficulties and have to temporarily suspend production and business leading to inability to pay social insurance are allowed to temporarily suspend contributions to the pension and death fund for a maximum of 12 months. After this period, employers must compensate for the period of temporary suspension of contributions.
Case 2: The employee is temporarily detained, temporarily suspended from work. If afterwards the full salary is recovered (due to being wrongly accused, wrongly informed or not being disciplined), it is necessary to make social insurance contributions for this period.
If during the temporary suspension of contributions, the employee is eligible for pension, they must immediately make a surcharge to resolve the regime.
Legal basis: Article 37 of the 2024 Law on Social Insurance; Article 9 of Decree 157/2025/ND-CP; Article 10 of Decree 158/2025/ND-CP.
Compensating for the remaining amount to enjoy monthly allowances
The 2024 Law on Social Insurance also supplements regimes for those who are old enough to retire but do not yet meet the conditions to receive pensions and are also old enough to receive social pension benefits.
If the social insurance contribution period is not enough to receive monthly allowances until reaching the age to receive social pension benefits (75 years old), employees can pay in one lump sum for the remaining amount to enjoy this regime.
Legal basis: Clause 3, Article 23 of the 2024 Social Insurance Law; Clause 3, Article 23 of Decree 158/2025/ND-CP.
The 2024 Law on Social Insurance has created more favorable conditions for workers in accessing pension benefits, especially by reducing the minimum social insurance contribution period from 20 years to 15 years and expanding cases of one-time contribution or supplementary contribution for the remaining time.
To ensure their rights, employees should regularly monitor their social insurance participation process on the VssID application or contact the social insurance agency where they are managed to check and compare information.
Proactively grasping the time of contribution and regulations on compensation contributions will help workers promptly complete their conditions, be eligible to receive pensions and ensure social security when they reach retirement age.
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