Social Minister: Starting January 1, 2026, cashback threshold for pensioners  using their cards to purchase goods and services to be raised to 20%

ArmInfo. Various tools are being used to address the issue of increasing pensions, as stated by RA Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Arsen Torosyan  during a government hour in the National Assembly on October 1, in response  to a question from MP Tadevos Avetisyan.

The MP, particularly, mentioned that, according to the government program, the minimum pension was planned to reach the minimum consumer basket by 2026, and the average pension is expected to cover the cost of the consumer basket. Additionally, the minimum wage was set to be raised to 85,000 AMD.  Currently, the average pension for over 500,000 pensioners  amounts to 49,000 AMD, while the cost of the consumer basket per person is 86,000 AMD. The deputy questioned how pensioners can survive in this situation.

In response, Torosyan brought up the cashback program for pensioners, which allows them to increase their pensions using their own funds. The Minister announced that, effective January 1, 2026, the cashback threshold will increase from the current 12% to 20%, resulting in an average pension increase of 3,000- 3,500 AMD. He emphasized the importance of actively utilizing this tool, which allows for addressing a number of issues.