Fiasco with the e-EFKA platform

Online e-EFKA a special electronic platform has been launched, through which insured freelancers, self-employed and farmers can freely choose the category of insurance they want to be assigned to in the new year 2023.

However, the amount they will have to pay has not yet been determined, as the exact percentage of the increase has not yet been “fixed”. According to available data, this figure will vary between 9.5% and 10%, which means that the minimum contribution will increase from 210 to 230 euros.

The choice of category is declared for the main and additional insurance and the section of one-time payments in one application, and is valid throughout the year. The deadline for submitting an application-declaration on the choice of insurance category is January 31, 2023. It is clarified that insured persons who do not apply for a change will remain for 2023 in the category to which they were assigned in the previous year.

Contributions for non-employees are rising as the provision is activated vrutis law (Law 4670 of February 2020), which provides that they change in accordance with the inflation rate, which has skyrocketed this year.

It is worth noting that Labor Minister Kostis Hatzidakis, despite strong reactions from the business world and scientific associations, proved unconvincing, arguing that freelancers cannot pay lower fees than those on the minimum wage. However, scenarios have been circulating in recent days, which are currently unconfirmed, that the government is considering canceling or freezing additional contributions of 10 euros per month that the self-employed pay to the unemployment fund as compensation. One of the reasons is the fact that a large amount has accumulated, which remains, in fact, unusedbecause the conditions for receiving benefits are so stringent that freelancers are eligible for it only if they completely stop their activities.

In any case, since the non-working members of this category were given a choice, the vast majority of them preferred to pay the lowest premiums, according to data released today by Democracy.

How much did insured freelancers, self-employed and farmers pay in 2022

In 2022, 1,298,620 people paid elective contributions, and 80% of them, i.e. 1,040,339 people chose to pay the lowest possible contributions: 220 euro per month for freelancers and self-employed, and 125 euros per month for farmers. It should be added that the category of special insurance, with contributions of only 136 euros per month, applies exclusively to the first five years of insurance. EFKA, however, takes every opportunity to remind you that choosing higher insurance categories leads to higher pension benefits.

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