The joy of receiving a pension.

"Rice in January, money in December"

At the end-of-year gathering, Mr. Nguyen Van Thuan's family in Huong Thuy ward was filled with joy. During the cheerful conversation, Mr. Thuan excitedly exclaimed, "I'm the best retiree ever! Just this morning, February 2nd, both my wife and I heard our phones ringing… 'ting ting,' knowing right away that our salaries had arrived. And it was two months' worth of salaries! The total in our accounts is 40 million dong!" Before anyone could respond, he quickly reminisced, "Back when I was working, I never received my salary at the beginning of the month like this!"

To help people enjoy the spring and celebrate Tet (Lunar New Year), and perhaps also to understand the meaning behind the saying "rice in January, money in December," in recent years, the State has adopted a policy of paying two months' pension and social insurance benefits together during the Tet holiday. In preparation for the Lunar New Year of the Horse (Bính Ngọ), on December 26, 2025, the Vietnam Social Insurance issued Official Letter No. 3447/BHXH-TCKT requesting provincial and city social insurance agencies to pay two months' pension and social insurance benefits (February and March 2026) together in the same payment period of February 2026. This payment applies to both beneficiaries receiving money via personal bank accounts and those receiving cash.

It is known that, in addition to making payments via ATM transfers, Vietnam Post (VNPost) also pays monthly pensions and social insurance benefits in cash at designated locations, usually between the 1st and 10th or the 25th of the month. For the elderly (over 80 years old), those who are ill, or those with mobility difficulties, the post office provides free home delivery of payments.

In Hue City, pensions and social insurance benefits are paid in cash monthly through the Post Office system from the 2nd to the 10th (at fixed payment points in wards/communes) and continue until the 25th at post offices. The specific schedule may be adjusted depending on the actual situation and will be announced 3 days in advance. In some wards, through the Zalo network, neighborhood groups announce monthly schedules for pension, social welfare benefit, and preferential allowance for revolutionary veterans, specifying locations and times. Compared to bank transfers, the pension payment time is slower, but the final official payment date for February and March is still very early, on February 7th.

In mid-2025, I had the opportunity to witness a lively pension distribution at the city's post office and met Mrs. Pham Thi Thuy Hanh, 76 years old, who has been receiving her pension for 21 years. Mrs. Hanh was formerly a primary school teacher, and after retiring, her pension has eased the financial burden on her children. Every month, she and her husband go to collect their pensions. She said that although there is now a system for transferring pensions to bank accounts, she still prefers to receive them in person to relax. Her current pension is nearly 6.8 million VND per month.

Safe, fast, and accurate

The payment of pensions via postal services (bank transfer and cash) began as a pilot program in September 2011 in four former provinces (Bac Kan, Phu Yen, Lam Dong , and Dak Nong) under government direction, and was subsequently expanded nationwide, including Thua Thien Hue province (now Hue City). Payment via postal services ensures beneficiaries receive their money safely, quickly, and accurately at post offices or local transaction points.

Since the implementation of the two-tiered government model, pension payments through the Post Office have undergone systemic changes to optimize the system and enhance the experience for citizens. Notably, this includes the digitalization of processes and the verification of beneficiaries. The Post Office network has also been reorganized with centralized cash payment points. To avoid long wait times due to overcrowding at payment points, Hue Post Office schedules payments by neighborhood/area, widely publicized through the Hue-S application or ward loudspeakers, and prioritizes home delivery.

According to a summary report from the Hue City Social Insurance agency, in February 2026 alone, monthly pension and social insurance benefits were paid to 35,840 people. Notably, the number of people receiving cash payments accounted for over 24% at the Hue City Social Insurance agency, over 36% at the Huong Tra branch, over 36% at the Phu Bai branch, over 26% at the Phu Loc branch, over 40% at the A Luoi branch, and over 28% at the Thuan Hoa branch. These are quite high figures, highlighting the need for the social insurance sector to accelerate digital transformation and address bottlenecks in implementing the cashless payment policy.

Text and photos: Phuoc Ly

Source: https://huengaynay.vn/chinh-polit-xa-hoi/an-sinh-xa-hoi/da-dang-hinh-thuc-chi-tra-luong-huu-163174.html