Consulting people to participate in voluntary social insurance

Previously, Mr. Tran Thanh Quang worked as a driver for a pharmaceutical company. Due to frequent illness, he quit his job in March 2022 after 12 years of participating in compulsory social insurance. Since then, Mr. Quang has been unemployed and has no source of income. Although he has reached retirement age, he has not paid enough social insurance, making his life more difficult.

He was happy when, from July 1, 2025, the Social Insurance Law 2024 stipulates a reduction in the minimum period of participation in social insurance from 20 years to 15 years. Thanks to that, Mr. Quang is eligible to receive a pension. “Reducing the number of years of social insurance contributions really helps me shorten the waiting period. After many years of waiting, I now have the opportunity to receive my pension book earlier,” Mr. Quang confided.

The story of pensions has become a familiar topic for many people these days. Some people are excitedly calculating how many years they have left to qualify. Others talk about the joy when the new policy gives them more motivation to continue participating in social insurance. The social insurance card, which used to be dry, has now become a trust and support for many workers to worry less.

Ms. Ho Dieu Lien in An Cuu ward, who runs a small business all year round, never thought about participating in social insurance. It was not until the end of 2023, when a tax collector came to her house to advise her, that she registered to participate in voluntary social insurance. "For decades, I only knew how to work, I never thought I would receive a pension. Not depending on my children in old age is the greatest happiness," Ms. Lien shared.

Resolution No. 28-NQ/TW, dated May 23, 2018 of the Party Central Committee on reforming social insurance policies, has identified the reform task: "Amending the conditions for enjoying pension benefits in the direction of gradually reducing the minimum number of years of social insurance contribution from 20 years to 15 years, towards 10 years with an appropriate calculated benefit level". In that spirit, Social Insurance Law No. 41/2024/QH15 officially reduces the minimum number of years of social insurance contribution to 15 years, creating conditions for many elderly workers with few years of participation to still be able to access pensions.

According to experts, the new regulation is both humane and practical in the labor market. For workers, especially those who start participating in social insurance at a late age or have an intermittent working history, reducing the minimum number of years of social insurance contributions to 15 years has opened the door to accessing pensions. Moreover, for middle-aged people, accumulating 20 years of social insurance contributions is much more difficult than 15 years. With the new policy, workers can feel more secure in building a solid financial foundation after leaving the labor market and is also a motivation for this group to proactively participate in voluntary social insurance, instead of giving up halfway.

Mr. Hoang Trong Chinh, Deputy Director of the City Social Insurance, informed: “The reduction in the minimum payment period to receive a pension has made workers see their pensions closer, thereby wanting to stick with the system. The number of workers who have worked for more than 10 years and quit their jobs to receive unemployment benefits is quite large. Previously, after receiving unemployment benefits, they would think about withdrawing their social insurance at one time to solve immediate difficulties. This problem is partly due to the fact that social insurance participants think that the time to pay social insurance to receive a minimum pension of 20 years is too long, the day to receive a pension is far away, especially at a time when there is a lack of security for sustainable employment. However, with the adjustment to reduce the minimum payment period to receive a pension, workers realize that they can access their pensions more easily and want to stay in the social insurance system. The proof is that by the end of August 2025, the number of people withdrawing their social insurance at one time was 6,995, a decrease of more than 1,800 cases compared to the same period last year”.

The joy of a pension not only helps workers ease their worries about food and clothing, but also gives them more confidence, so that they can live a comfortable old age, without depending on their children and grandchildren.

Article and photos: HAN DANG

Source: https://huengaynay.vn/chinh-tri-xa-hoi/an-sinh-xa-hoi/co-hoi-tiep-can-luong-huu-de-dang-hon-157586.html