Story By: Dennis Ato Keelson
The Concerned Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) Pensioners Forum (CSPF) has firmly rejected the 10% pension increment announced for 2026 by the SSNIT, labeling it insufficient to alleviate the deepening financial hardship faced by retirees.
In a January 10, 2026 statement, the Forum acknowledged the adjustment but warned it falls critically short of protecting pensioners from soaring living costs.
The group highlighted that it had earlier petitioned SSNIT, the Finance Minister, the Employment Minister, and the National Pensions Authority in November 2025, urging an urgent revision of pension levels to establish a “living pension.”
The CSPF had proposed raising the minimum monthly pension to GH¢600 and called for average increases of 15–20% to counter years of value erosion, where adjustments consistently trailed inflation and minimum wage growth. It noted that the 2025 minimum pension of GH¢396.58 left recipients unable to afford basic medicine and increasingly reliant on others.
Further concerns were raised over apparent discrepancies in SSNIT’s published minimum pension figures. While a January 2025 release stated the minimum had risen from GH¢300 to GH¢396.58, a January 2026 announcement cited an increase from GH¢300 to GH¢400 for new pensioners, with existing pensioners on GH¢300 moving to GH¢409.56. The Forum questioned these numbers, noting SSNIT had earlier indicated no pensioner received below GH¢396.58 in 2025, and demanded clarity on how the minimum pension is defined.
The group stressed that without a guaranteed living pension, yearly percentage increases remain ineffective, leaving many retirees struggling to meet essential needs. It called for an immediate national dialogue involving SSNIT, policymakers, labor groups, pensioner associations, and civil society to design a sustainable minimum pension framework.
Arguing for parity with the national minimum wage, the CSPF insisted Ghana must adopt a national minimum pension to ensure dignified retirement. The Forum pledged to continue engaging state institutions to advance pension justice and equity for all retirees.
