Hanoi wants to increase social pension benefits, after Ho Chi Minh City and Quang Ninh

Hanoi People's Committee proposed to raise the social pension allowance standard to 700,000 VND/month, 200,000 VND higher than the general regulation level.

HCM City Social Insurance officers complete procedures to pay pensions to people - Photo: HUU HANH

The Hanoi People's Committee is proposing to raise the standard social assistance level from 500,000 VND/month (the level prescribed by the Government) to 700,000 VND/month. Previously, some localities also increased the social pension allowance level higher than the level prescribed by the Government.

Not only does it clearly demonstrate a commitment to social security, many opinions say that this is also a signal that local authorities are increasingly flexible in implementing policies suitable to the characteristics of the population, budget and actual needs.

Increase social pension benefits above the standard level

According to the Law on Social Insurance 2024 and Decree 176/2025, people who are entitled to social pension benefits when they are 75 years old or older do not receive monthly pension or social insurance benefits; or people who are receiving monthly pension or social insurance benefits lower than the prescribed pension benefit level.

Some other cases are also entitled to social pension benefits when they are from 70 years old to under 75 years old, belong to poor households, near-poor households according to Government regulations and meet the prescribed conditions. The above cases are entitled to monthly social pension benefits at the rate of 500,000 VND/month, from July 1, 2025.

Depending on socio -economic conditions, the ability to balance the budget and mobilize social resources, the Provincial People's Committee shall submit to the People's Council at the same level a decision on additional support for social pension beneficiaries.

Up to now, some localities have raised social pension benefits higher than the general standard level. In particular, the People's Council of Ho Chi Minh City has decided to increase the social pension benefit to 650,000 VND/person/month (1.3 times higher than the level prescribed by the Government) from September 1, 2025. The estimated cost is about 1,522 billion VND/year.

Increasing social pension and social protection benefits compared to the national average will contribute to caring for and improving the lives of beneficiary groups, in accordance with the living conditions of the city.

The implementation of the 650,000 VND/month support regime is also consistent with the city's budget balance capacity at the present time, meeting the needs and legitimate aspirations of the people. At the same time, this also creates a balance between economic growth and social justice, promoting the effectiveness of social assistance policies for social protection beneficiaries in Ho Chi Minh City after the merger.

Previously, from July 2025, Quang Ninh also raised the monthly social pension allowance to 700,000 VND/month, an increase of 200,000 VND compared to the Government's regulations.

Since the end of August 2025, the Hanoi People's Committee has been collecting public opinions on the draft resolution of the Hanoi People's Council regulating the social assistance standard (according to Decree 76/2024) and beneficiaries of Hanoi's special social assistance policies.

Specifically, Hanoi proposed increasing the standard social assistance level from 500,000 VND/month to 700,000 VND/month (an increase of 200,000 VND, 1.4 times higher than the Government's standard level).

According to the Hanoi People's Committee, the level of 500,000 VND/month compared to the average living standard of Hanoi is still low. Social protection policies and regimes only partially support the minimum essential needs in the life of the subjects.

With the current budget conditions, it is appropriate for the City to adjust the social assistance standard to be 1.4 times higher than the Government's social assistance standard.

People do social insurance procedures at the Cat Lai Ward Public Administration Service Center - Photo: HUU HANH

Avoid the disparity between localities

Speaking to Tuoi Tre, delegate Tran Khanh Thu (Hung Yen) said that Vietnam is facing one of the biggest challenges of the 21st century: a rapidly aging population, but the rate of elderly people receiving social insurance benefits is still very low. Many elderly people still have to rely on family support, and their lives face many difficulties, especially in large cities and urban areas - where the cost of living is high.

The Government's regulation of the social pension allowance level of 500,000 VND/month from July 1, 2025 and previously from July 2024, increasing the social assistance standard to 500,000 VND/month is a superior policy, but large provinces and cities with high revenue need to be more proactive and can balance the budget to increase these levels.

Ms. Thu assessed that the fact that some localities such as Quang Ninh, Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi are proposing to proactively adjust and increase social pension benefits and social assistance for the elderly is a positive step. This demonstrates social responsibility and humanity in social security policy.

Increasing the subsidy level not only helps reduce the burden on the elderly but also contributes to promoting fairness in access to welfare, especially for self-employed workers and farmers who are not eligible for social insurance. This is a signal that local authorities are increasingly flexible in implementing policies suitable to the characteristics of the population, budget and actual needs.

However, in the long term, there needs to be a unified and sustainable legal mechanism from the Central Government to expand social security coverage for the elderly, avoid disparities between localities, and ensure fairness and stability of the national social security system.

Delegate Tran Kim Yen (HCMC) commented that raising the social pension allowance to VND650,000/person/month from September 1, 2025 - 1.3 times higher than the Government's standard - is a step that clearly demonstrates the commitment to social security, especially in the context of people's lives still having many difficulties.

Ms. Yen shared that in many meetings, she had proposed building nursing homes for the elderly, but this issue has not received due attention. Vietnam is facing the challenge of a rapidly aging population, while the birth rate is decreasing. If not well prepared, the elderly can become a burden for families and society. Therefore, more investment is needed in the nursing and long-term care system.

In addition, in the context of the whole country promoting digital transformation and building e-government, the management, understanding and timely support for vulnerable groups will be more transparent and effective. Increasing social subsidies is not only a temporary solution but also a strategic step in ensuring sustainable social security.

People submit prescriptions waiting for health insurance drugs at Gia Dinh People's Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City - Photo: THANH HIEP

* Dr. BUI SY LOI (former Deputy Head of the Committee on Social Affairs - now the Committee on Culture and Society):

Social pension age could be reduced to 70

It is noteworthy that Quang Ninh, Ho Chi Minh City and now Hanoi continue to propose to increase the social pension allowance to a higher level than the standard level. At the same time, it is necessary to encourage all localities, when budget conditions permit, to consider implementing this policy.

In fact, with the amount of money increased by 150,000 - 200,000 VND/month compared to the current price increase and the actual living standards in these localities, some people will say that it is not a big amount. But if calculated on a general level, this amount is not small and shows the efforts and attempts to care for and improve the quality of life of the elderly in the localities.

I have repeatedly recommended that in the coming time, along with raising the social pension level, if there are enough resources, we can consider further reducing the social pension age to 70 years old.

At the same time, in the coming time, it is necessary to continue to focus on developing a social security system in a diverse, comprehensive direction, with sharing between the State, society and people, between population groups within a generation and between generations... to ensure sustainability and fairness.

This is an inevitable trend and will overcome the situation of low coverage, low benefits, and gender disparity in the implementation of social security policies.

* Delegate TRAN ANH TUAN (HCMC):

Not just increasing money, but rebuilding the social security system

The proposal of the Hanoi People's Committee to raise the standard social assistance level from 500,000 to 700,000 VND/month, along with previous moves from Quang Ninh and Ho Chi Minh City, is a positive signal, demonstrating the efforts of localities in caring for vulnerable groups.

However, increasing subsidies is only a small part of a larger problem, which is restructuring the entire social security system to suit the new movements of Vietnamese society.

If we only stop at increasing the level of cash subsidies, the policy will still be short-term and not strong enough to create long-term changes. We are living in a society that is changing very quickly: population change, urbanization, aging, labor migration, digitalization... In this context, social security policy needs to shift from "relief" to "social investment", from basic support to increasing capacity and opportunities for people.

Instead of just providing money, it is necessary to invest in essential public services specifically for vulnerable groups such as free primary health care systems, social housing for the elderly living alone, employment centers for the disabled, digital skills training programs for unemployed youth... These policies will help people not only overcome temporary difficulties, but also have the ability to rise up and escape poverty sustainably.

Along with that, an intelligent digital social security system should be established soon, using population data to automatically identify those in need of support, the level of support, and more transparent budget control. At the same time, policies need to be highly flexible, for example, being able to automatically adjust the subsidy level according to the living standards of each region, according to the time of price fluctuations.

Social security is not just about budget spending, but also about the way the State shares risks with its people. A civilized country is one that leaves no one behind, not by words, but by smart institutions and concrete actions.

What is social pension? What is the procedure?

This is a monthly allowance guaranteed by the state budget for the elderly. People who meet the conditions to receive social pension benefits must submit a request for social pension benefits (Form 01 issued under Decree 176) to the Chairman of the People's Committee of the commune/ward where they reside.

Within 10 days, the Chairman of the Commune People's Committee shall organize the review, standardization, authentication and comparison with the national population database to decide on the payment of social pension benefits to the beneficiaries according to the law. In case the applicant is not eligible to receive, he/she must reply in writing, stating the reasons.

The time to receive social pension benefits is calculated from the time the Chairman of the Commune People's Committee signs the decision.

Which groups of elderly people are eligible for social assistance?

Decree 76/2024 of the Government stipulates that the standard level of social assistance applicable from July 1, 2024 is 500,000 VND/month. The Decree stipulates that in cases where local socio-economic conditions are guaranteed, the Provincial People's Committee shall submit to the Provincial People's Council for decision the standard level of social assistance, the social assistance level applied in the locality is higher than the standard level of social assistance and the social assistance level prescribed in the Decree. According to the Decree, the elderly beneficiaries are in the following cases:

- Group 1: elderly people from poor households, without anyone to take on the obligation and right to support them or a supporter who is receiving monthly social benefits.

- Group 2: elderly people aged 75 to 80 years old, poor households, near-poor households not in the above group, living in communes and villages in ethnic minority and mountainous areas with special difficulties.

- Group 3: people aged 80 or older who are not in group 1, do not have pension, social insurance benefits or monthly social benefits.

- Group 4: elderly people from poor households, without anyone with the obligation and right to support them, without conditions to live in the community, eligible for social assistance facilities but have someone to raise and care for them in the community.

Back to topic

THANH CHUNG - TIEN LONG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/ha-noi-muon-tang-tro-cap-huu-tri-xa-hoi-sau-tp-hcm-va-quang-ninh-20251004085054747.htm