‘170 pensioners receive JD14m annually from SSC’

AMMAN — The Social Security Corporation pays out over JD14 million annually to 170 pensioners, while 60 per cent of pensioners receive JD300 or less each month, an official said on Monday.

Most of the 170 people who receive monthly pensions of JD5,000 or more have worked in insurance companies, big banks or the aviation sector, explained SSC Media Director Musa Sbeihi.

The imbalance is due to previous social security laws which allowed subscriptions at “high or unlimited” monthly salaries, Sbeihi told The Jordan Times.

But the new Social Security Law capped salaries eligible for social security deductions at JD3,000, even if the subscriber’s salary is higher.

The ceiling is connected to inflation rates and has reached JD3,084.

“The new law achieves more justice and reduces insurance gaps… The phenomenon of very high retirement pensions will vanish in the long term,” the SSC official said. 

The average monthly retirement pensions for the 170 subscribers is around JD7,000, said Sbeihi, while the average retirement pension for all 190,000 SSC subscribers stands at JD397.

“This gap also indicates an issue of low salaries for a large segment of subscribers,” he said.

The SSC’s overall monthly bill for retirement pensions is around JD69 million, including JD40 million for early retirees.