Details on the Implementation of Pension Rights for Individuals Displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh

The government of Armenia clarified today the procedures for the realization of pension rights for individuals forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh.

During a government meeting, David Khachatryan, the Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, noted that this establishes the specifics of applying for pensions for persons with refugee status, including how to apply, reassess, switch types of pensions, and payment procedures.

“According to the Armenian government decision dated October 26, 2023, individuals recognized as refugees under temporary protection, whose pension files exist in the Nagorno-Karabakh pension database, can submit an online application to the relevant Armenian authorities for pension benefits until June 1, 2024. Notably, there will be no need to attach any additional documents to the application. In this case, the refugee's right to a pension will not be reviewed, and the employment history recorded in the Nagorno-Karabakh database will remain unchanged,” emphasized the Deputy Minister.

He stated that the amount of pension will be calculated in accordance with the procedures established by Armenian legislation, and pensions will be awarded no earlier than October 1, 2023, the date when the right to a pension is established.

Regarding disability pensions, he indicated that certificates issued by the competent authority conducting medical and social examinations in Nagorno-Karabakh will be the basis for restoring the right to receive or be awarded a disability pension.

The Deputy Minister informed that the deadline for awarding pensions to individuals forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh will be December 31, 2028, after which the employment history will be recalculated according to Armenian legislation.

An additional 30 billion drams will be allocated from the state budget for pensions of those forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh.

“If a person has not received a pension in Nagorno-Karabakh, for example, if they turned 63 years old on September 15 and applied to the relevant authorities in Armenia within three months starting December 11, they will receive their pension from October 1, 2023,” Khachatryan added.

According to him, people in Nagorno-Karabakh mainly received their pensions in cash, while those who received them via bank will continue to receive them in the same manner using the same bank cards.