The Concerned SSNIT Pensioners Forum (CSPF) has rejected the 10 per cent pension increase announced by the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) for 2026, describing it as inadequate and insufficient to address the deteriorating living conditions of retirees, particularly those on low incomes.

In a statement issued on January 10, 2026, the Forum said that although it welcomed the adjustment in principle, the increment falls far short of protecting pensioners from the rising cost of living and does little to reverse growing poverty among retirees.

The CSPF recalled that on November 19, 2025, it formally petitioned SSNIT to urgently review pension levels and raise the minimum pension to what it termed a “living level.” Copies of the petition were also sent to the Minister for Finance, the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, and the Chief Executive Officer of the National Pensions Authority, calling for their intervention.

According to the Forum, it proposed a minimum monthly pension of GH¢600 and called for an average pension increase of between 15 and 20 per cent to help restore the real value of pensions, which it said has been steadily eroded by annual adjustments that consistently trail inflation and the national minimum wage.

The Forum described the 2025 minimum monthly pension of GH¢396.58 as woefully inadequate, arguing that pensioners on that amount struggle to afford basic medication and are increasingly forced to depend on family and friends to survive.

The CSPF also raised concerns about what it termed inconsistencies in SSNIT’s public communications on minimum pension figures. It referenced a SSNIT statement dated January 6, 2025, which indicated that the minimum monthly pension had increased from GH¢300 in 2024 to GH¢396.58 in 2025 following indexation and redistribution.

However, in another statement issued on January 8, 2026, SSNIT announced that the minimum monthly pension for new pensioners had risen from GH¢300 to GH¢400, while pensioners described as “currently on the minimum pension of GH¢300” would receive GH¢409.56 after the 2026 indexation.

The Forum questioned the basis for these figures, noting that during its engagements with SSNIT, it was informed that no pensioner was receiving less than GH¢396.58 as of 2025. It has therefore called on the Trust to clearly define what constitutes the minimum pension in Ghana.

The CSPF warned that annual percentage increases are meaningless without the establishment of a guaranteed minimum living pension, stressing that many retirees continue to struggle to afford food, medicine, and basic healthcare despite yearly adjustments.

According to the Forum, the emphasis on percentage increments ignores the fundamental issue of whether pension incomes are sufficient to meet basic survival needs, especially as healthcare costs increase with age.

The Forum is now calling for an urgent national dialogue involving SSNIT, policymakers, organised labour, pensioner associations, economic planners, and civil society organisations to agree on a sustainable and realistic minimum pension framework.

It maintained that just as Ghana has a national minimum wage, there must also be a national minimum pension policy to ensure retirees can live in dignity.

The CSPF said it would continue to engage SSNIT and other relevant state institutions in its advocacy for pension justice, equity, and policies that guarantee a dignified standard of living for pensioners nationwide.