Ghana’s Concerned SSNIT Pensioners Forum (CSPF) has rejected a 10% increase in pensions announced by the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) for 2026, saying it is insufficient to meet the rising cost of living and fails to protect low-income retirees from deepening hardship.
In a statement issued on 10 January 2026, the Forum said it welcomed the adjustment in principle but argued that the increase does little to alleviate pensioner poverty, particularly among those on the lowest incomes.
The CSPF said it formally petitioned SSNIT on 19 November 2025, urging an urgent review of pension levels and calling for the minimum pension to be raised to what it described as a “living level.” Copies of the petition were sent to the Minister for Finance, the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, and the Chief Executive of the National Pensions Authority.
According to the Forum, it proposed a minimum monthly pension of GH¢600 and recommended an average increase of between 15% and 20%, citing the erosion of pension values over time due to inflation and adjustments that it says have lagged behind the national minimum wage.
The group described the 2025 minimum monthly pension of GH¢396.58 as inadequate, arguing that pensioners on that amount struggle to afford basic medication and are increasingly reliant on family and community support.
The Forum also raised concerns about what it called inconsistencies in SSNIT’s public communication on minimum pension figures. It referred to a SSNIT statement issued on 6 January 2025, which said the minimum pension rose from GH¢300 in 2024 to GH¢396.58 in 2025 following indexation and redistribution.
However, in a separate statement dated 8 January 2026, SSNIT announced that the minimum monthly pension for new pensioners had increased from GH¢300 to GH¢400, while existing pensioners “currently on minimum pension of GH¢300” would receive GH¢409.56 after the 2026 adjustment.
The CSPF questioned the basis for these figures, saying its engagements with SSNIT suggested that no pensioner was receiving less than GH¢396.58 in 2025. It has called on the Trust to clearly define what constitutes a minimum pension in Ghana.
The Forum warned that annual percentage increases are of limited value without a guaranteed minimum pension that meets basic living needs. It said many retirees continue to struggle to afford food, medication, and healthcare, even as medical costs rise with age.
The CSPF is calling for an urgent national dialogue involving SSNIT, government officials, organized labor, pensioner groups, economic planners, and civil society organizations to agree on a sustainable minimum pension framework.
It argues that just as Ghana enforces a national minimum wage, there should be a national minimum pension to ensure retirees can live in dignity. The Forum said it would continue to engage state institutions in pursuit of what it described as pension justice and equity for retired workers.
