Greece to abolish widow's pension cuts after three years under Katrougalos law, vote set for Tuesday

The legislative push

On Monday evening, the Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance submitted provisions to parliament that abolish the three-year cut on main widow's pensions under Law 4387/2016, known as the Katrougalos law. The plenary vote is scheduled for Tuesday, 21 July 2026. The regulation aims to correct what the ministry calls distortions caused by the 2016 law, which reduced the survivor's pension from 70% to 35% of the deceased's pension after three years if the recipient worked or received their own pension.

What the new provisions change

The reform introduces four key changes. First, the post-three-year cut is eliminated permanently; those who already saw their pension halved will have it restored to the full 70%, effectively doubling their monthly payment. Second, for more than 75,000 widow pensioners on whom the cuts had not yet been applied, the reductions will never be imposed, and the state will not seek any retroactive amounts. Third, approximately 122,000 pensioners who receive both their own pension and a survivor's pension will now keep both national pensions in full, without one being reduced. Fourth, children who have lost both parents will receive the national pension from each parent separately, doubling the amount they previously received.

Fiscal footing and the Digital Work Card

Minister Niki Kerameos attributed the fiscal capacity for the reform to increased revenues from the Digital Work Card and employment growth. She stated that the intervention was possible without disturbing fiscal stability. The ministry's announcement noted that the measure is funded by the overperformance of the Digital Work Card's implementation and higher employment, which created the necessary budgetary room.

We are abolishing a great social injustice of ten years, which has plagued thousands of families. We are introducing a new, fair and socially sensitive framework, correcting the distortions created by the Tsipras-Katrougalos law.

Who benefits and when

Among the immediate beneficiaries are about 8,500 public sector pensioners who had already suffered the cut; their pensions will be restored, with monthly increases reaching up to 500 euros in some cases. The first payments reflecting the higher amounts will appear in the September pension disbursements, which are paid in the last week of August. The provisions also shield over 75,000 pensioners from ever facing the cuts and protect 122,000 dual recipients from losing one of their national pensions.

Parliamentary path

The provisions were posted on the parliament's website on Monday and will be debated and voted on in the plenary session on Tuesday. The vote is expected to pass, given the government's majority, and will mark the end of a decade-long grievance for thousands of Greek families.