Scientists have not liked the Social Security proposal to buy unpaid internship periods and convert them into paid internships so that they add to the retirement calculation. Elma Saiz’s ministry has approved an order that allows anyone who has been a scholarship recipient without pay to pay about 290 euros per month so that it counts toward retirement. Scientists have protested against this policy because very long periods of unpaid internships are common for them, normally at the expense of public institutions. Faced with this rejection, Social Security is willing to make a move. The minister has announced that she will meet on Tuesday with the Confederation of Scientific Societies of Spain to listen to them. Sources from the ministry indicate that there may be some changes that somewhat improve the situation of this group, but at the same time they certify that in all scenarios the contribution will have to be paid.
“The ministry never makes decisions unilaterally. That is why I want to announce that the scientific community has been summoned through its representatives to do this listening, for something that is alive,” Saiz indicated this Wednesday. In his ministry they see room to introduce improvements in the application of this right for scientists, given its particularities, but at the same time they believe that the incorporation of periods cannot be allowed without paying some amount. This would set a precedent that would serve as an argument for many other groups that have worked and have not contributed during those periods, such as employees of the general regime. This debate occurs in a context of stress for Social Security accounts, given the aging of the population and the acceleration in the number of pensioners.
Saiz has taken the opportunity to claim this voluntary option for past scholarship recipients, which is added to the 95% subsidized contribution from January 1 (on account of Social Security) for current unpaid scholarship recipients. “Let the finger not cover the moon. We are talking about something absolutely exceptional, after months of work that emanates from social dialogue. An exceptional window opens for people who in the 90s were scholarship recipients and there was no possibility of contributing to do so in 2024,” commented the minister. The order specifies that up to five years of contributions can be purchased, a scenario that would cost about 17,000 euros. For someone who was an intern for six months and wants to incorporate it into their calculation, it would cost about 1,700.
Hundreds of affected people, organized on the Former Research and Teaching Scholarships (ABID) platform, published a forceful manifesto on Sunday: “Our idiosyncrasies have not been taken into account: in the first place, we were not mere students, but rather highly qualified personnel already working,” criticize the signatories. Those affected regret that the new agreement uses the minimum contribution base for retirement from the 2024 regime, instead of the one in force in the year in which the scholarship was granted. “This will mean paying 3,456 euros for each year of contributions rescuedan exorbitant figure taking into account the small amount of the scholarships enjoyed”, they explain.
The UGT union also has criticized the measure: “Conditioning the recognition of these periods to the payment of an amount by the affected person gives rise to a perversion of the pension system and limits its use to only a few people, those who can assume the cost.” CC OO recognizes the implementation of this measure as “good news,” “although not without controversy”. The union criticizes that the contribution base on which the special agreement will revolve will be the minimum of 2024 and not that of the period in which the internships were carried out: “This implies a very notable increase in the quota to be paid, without having an impact equivalent in the regulatory basis of the pension.”
The Ministry of Social Security reminds that these contributions paid will be deductible: “They will be treated as fiscally deductible expenses from work income, and a negative net return may result if the taxpayer does not obtain full income for this concept that exceeds the contributions paid.” ”. At CC OO they believe that this “limits” the impact of the payment, “but does not prevent the aforementioned effect.”
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