Details on Pensions for Displaced Residents of Artsakh

The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs of Armenia has presented information in a Q&A format regarding which pensions displaced individuals from Artsakh can benefit from in Armenia.

Question 1: If I received a pension in Artsakh, do I need to reapply for a pension in Armenia?

Answer: If you received a pension in Nagorno-Karabakh, you will be granted a pension in Armenia according to the existing legislation, based on your application. Accordingly, the conditions for granting pensions to displaced persons (including the eligible age for a pension and the duration of work experience) are the same as those for Armenian citizens.

Question 2: As a displaced person from Artsakh, what types of pensions can I apply for in Armenia?

Answer: Displaced compatriots from Artsakh can apply for the following pensions if they are registered at their residence address in Armenia: employment pensions (old-age, preferential conditions, long-term service, disability, survivor’s pensions, partial pensions) and military pensions (long-term service, disability, survivor’s pensions). If they received social pensions for old age, disability, or loss of the breadwinner in Artsakh, they will receive corresponding benefits for these in Armenia instead of the aforementioned pensions. If the individual received pensions for holding state positions in Artsakh, they will receive an employment pension based on their application submitted to the Unified Social Service, or they can apply to the relevant body (for instance, the Ministry of Defense) for a military pension.

Question 3: Is it mandatory to have Armenian citizenship to receive a pension in Armenia?

Answer: One of the main conditions that grants the right to receive a pension in Armenia is having a registered residence address in Armenia, including for non-citizens.

Question 4: Will my work experience years from Artsakh be counted when applying for a pension in Armenia?

Answer: It should be noted that the rules for awarding pensions and verifying work experience are general. According to these rules, work experience is verified if there is an employment booklet or archival documents confirming the fact of employment. To verify work experience from 1992 to 2014, documents proving the payment of social contributions or receipt of wages are also required. The database of individual (personalized) registration data from Nagorno-Karabakh has been transferred to the pension-awarding body, the Unified Social Service, in accordance with the law, and certain archival documents have also been transferred to the National Archive of Armenia. Nevertheless, there will be employment periods in both Armenian and Nagorno-Karabakh territories that cannot be confirmed by existing archival documents or information in the databases. Work periods up to January 1, 2014, in Nagorno-Karabakh can also be counted as work experience based on the information provided by the Nagorno-Karabakh commission, issued after July 30, 2021.

Question 5: I am aware that certain years worked in Artsakh are not counted as experience in Armenia. What solution does the state provide?

Answer: It should also be noted that legislative changes are expanding the circumstances under which the requirement for social contributions or documents substantiating wage receipt is waived. These cases now also apply to work experience gained in the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. This solution addresses both work experience located in Nagorno-Karabakh and that gained in Armenia, which cannot objectively be verified through existing archival documents. Specifically, no documents proving social contributions or wage receipt are required for work periods in Nagorno-Karabakh if the individual worked before January 19, 1998, in the executive committees of city, district, urban, and rural councils, the schools and libraries under their jurisdiction, housing and communal services (housing operation) offices, civil aviation factories, and organizations, schools, kindergartens, museums, archives, etc.

Question 6: Can the amount of pension calculated and assigned in Armenia differ from the amount assigned and paid in Artsakh?

Answer: Yes, because pensions in Armenia are assigned, paid, and calculated according to the procedures established by the Law on State Pensions. According to the rules for calculating the amount of the employment pension, the amount depends on the duration of work experience, the basic pension amount, and the value per year of work experience. Accordingly, the minimum pension in Armenia is 36,000 drams, the basic pension amount is 24,000 drams (which was set at 21,500 drams in Artsakh), the value per year of work experience for the first ten years is 950 drams (in Artsakh, it was 1,150 drams), and for each year beyond ten years, it is 500 drams (in Artsakh, it was 600 drams). Therefore, the amount of pension assigned and calculated according to Armenian legislation may differ from the amount assigned and paid in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Question 7: Pensions in Armenia are paid non-cash; however, are there exceptions for those with mobility or health issues?

Answer: Yes, in Armenia, pensions are paid non-cash; however, based on the pensioner’s application, pensions may also be paid in cash if the individual (or the legal representative in case of a minor or a pensioner under guardianship) has a severe or profound degree of disability or is over 75 years old. Pensions may also be given in cash by proxy or to a minor over the age of 14.

Question 8: As a displaced person from Artsakh receiving a pension in Armenia, can I benefit from the 12% retroactive payment program?

Answer: Yes, pensioners and recipients of benefits from Artsakh can also benefit from the 12% retroactive payment program, so if you are a pensioner or a beneficiary and make cashless transactions in commercial points and service-providing organizations operating in Armenia, you will receive a retroactive payment equal to 12% of the total amount of those transactions, but not exceeding 6,000 drams.

Question 9: Will there be a retroactive payment on my pension if I pay for utilities in a non-cash manner?

Answer: No, as of September 1, retroactive payments are not calculated for utility payments (gas, electricity, drinking water) as well as for landline and mobile phone services.

Question 10: Is it mandatory to visit the territorial center of the Unified Social Service to apply for a pension, or can I also apply online?

Answer: If as of September 2023 you have received a pension in Artsakh and as of that date the pension payment has not been suspended, you can submit your pension application online at www.socservice.am until September 30, 2024. If your pension age has been reached in Armenia, you must apply to any territorial center of the Unified Social Service (addresses: https://bit.ly/3h99yYU).