Proposal for equal widower's pension rights for men in the Parliament

Kostis Efstathiou, an independent socialist MP, is leading a proposal to change the Social Security Law so widowers can get a widower's pension regardless of when their spouse passed away. The Parliamentary Labour Committee examined this proposal today, which aims to equalise widowers' and widows' rights and privileges.

Andreas Kafkalias, AKEL MP and committee chairman, noted that classifying widowers into two categories, those who qualify for a widower's pension and those who do not, violates equality standards and is discriminatory.

Although the executive branch has not explicitly opposed this plan, Kafkalias noted in a statement released after the meeting that the government has consistently delayed taking action on the matter, frequently tying it to more extensive reforms to the pension system. The existing disparity, which only grants males a widow's pension if their husbands died before January 1, 2018, while those whose spouses died after that date are still ineligible, should be resolved quickly, he emphasised.

Kafkalias went on to say that the government shouldn't let budgetary worries stop it from addressing the imbalance.

When asked about the next steps, Kafkalias noted that further discussions, including consultations with Mr. Efstathiou and other officials, are planned. A decision on whether the bill will proceed to a vote is expected in conjunction with upcoming budget debates within the next two weeks.