Old-age Pension to be 'Automatically Paid' if Eligibility is Met; Early Payments Subject to Reduction

While old-age pensions can be received upon meeting contribution period and age requirements, the necessity for recipients to manually file claims has been a persistent issue, leading to missed applications among the elderly. To resolve this inconvenience, the Ministry of Health and Welfare will pilot a program to pay pensions to individuals meeting certain criteria without requiring a separate claim.
According to the National Pension Service, the automatic payment pilot program does not cover all prospective old-age pension recipients. Selection will prioritize individuals whose eligibility can be clearly verified—specifically those with no unpaid National Pension premiums and a low probability of needing to repay lump-sum refunds or make retroactive payments.
https://v.daum.net/v/20260829074339421
Must have contributed to the National Pension for over 10 years and reached the pension commencement age
Automatic old-age pension payments without application for those with no unpaid premiums
Early old-age pensions can be received up to 5 years ahead of schedule, but the payment amount is reduced
Preventing information errors and missed payments remains a challenge ahead of the expansion of automatic payments