The Concerned SSNIT Pensioners Forum (CSPF) has expressed strong dissatisfaction with the 10 percent average pension increase announced by the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) for 2026, describing it as insufficient to protect retirees from worsening economic hardship. While the Forum acknowledges the adjustment as a positive step, it argues that the increase fails to confront the deeper problem of pensioner poverty, especially among low-income retirees who struggle daily to meet basic needs.
In a press release dated 10 January 2026, the CSPF stressed that annual percentage increases, though regular, have gradually lost their real value. Rising inflation, increasing healthcare costs, and the persistent gap between pension adjustments and the national minimum wage have severely eroded the purchasing power of pensions over the years. As a result, many pensioners can no longer afford food, medication, or basic healthcare, making survival a daily challenge rather than a retirement benefit.
The Forum revealed that as far back as 19 November 2025, it formally petitioned SSNIT to take urgent action to address these concerns. The petition called for a meaningful reform of pension adjustments, including the introduction of a minimum living pension. Copies of the petition were also sent to the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, and the Chief Executive Officer of the National Pensions Authority, underscoring the national importance of the issue.
Central to the CSPF’s demand was a proposal to raise the minimum monthly pension to GH¢600 and to implement an average pension increase of between 15 and 20 percent for 2026. According to the Forum, the 2025 minimum monthly pension of GH¢396.58 was grossly inadequate and could not even cover basic monthly medication costs. This situation, the CSPF argued, has forced many pensioners into dependency, stripping them of dignity after decades of service to the nation.
Following engagements with SSNIT on 10 December 2025, the Forum was assured that its concerns would be forwarded to the appropriate approving authorities. However, CSPF has since raised questions about inconsistencies in SSNIT’s own public statements regarding what constitutes a minimum pension in Ghana. While SSNIT previously indicated that the minimum pension rose from GH¢300 in 2024 to GH¢396.58 in 2025, the 2026 indexation announcement referred to an increase in the minimum pension for new pensioners from GH¢300 to GH¢400, creating confusion among beneficiaries.
Further clarification revealed that, as a result of the 2026 indexation and redistribution, pensioners previously on GH¢300 would receive GH¢409.56 monthly, representing a 36.52 percent increase. Despite this, the CSPF maintains that such figures, though seemingly significant in percentage terms, remain inadequate in real-life conditions where the cost of living continues to rise sharply.
The Forum argues that the national conversation should move beyond percentages and confront the core issue of survival. In its view, pension policy must answer a simple but critical question: can pension income in Ghana realistically cover basic human needs? CSPF believes the answer remains no for a large segment of retirees.
Drawing parallels with Ghana’s annual national minimum wage policy, the Forum is calling for the adoption of a national minimum pension framework. Such a policy, it says, would guarantee a baseline income that allows retirees to live with dignity rather than struggle through old age. To achieve this, CSPF is advocating for an urgent and inclusive national dialogue involving SSNIT, policymakers, organised labour, pensioner associations, economic planners, and civil society groups.
The Concerned SSNIT Pensioners Forum has reaffirmed its commitment to continued engagement with SSNIT and relevant state institutions. Its goal remains clear: pension justice, equity, and policies that reflect the lived realities of Ghana’s retirees. According to the Forum, those who dedicated their productive years to national development deserve security and dignity in retirement, not hardship and neglect.
