INPS today published the information sheet on the pensions of members of the Clergy Fund, which shows that management is constantly in deficit: although the ratio members/retirees is always well above unity (1,45 in 2015), it is still too high it imbalance between contributions paid and services provided (in 2015 the contribution/performance ratio was 1 to 3).
The provident fund for the clergy and ministers of religion of religious denominations other than the Catholic was set up as a single fund with law no. 22 of 1973 December 903. In the past, the law of 5 July 1961 n. 579 regulated the invalidity and old age insurance of the clergy and the law of 5 July 1961 n.580 regulated the invalidity and old age insurance of the ministers of religion of religious denominations other than the Catholic. With the unification of the two social security funds, the pension for survivors was also established to be paid by the fund, for which the Clergy Social Security Fund pays out the old-age pension, the invalidity pension and the survivor's pension in favor of the members.
Le pensions disbursed by the fund are 13.788 (2014 final figure) and management has been in deficit for some years, considering the negative annual economic results of between 56 and 115 million euros in the period 2002-2015 and a capital deficit of over 2,2 billion euros euros in 2015.
The INPS has also pointed out some particularities of this sector:
– The fund was not affected by the Monti-Fornero pension reform.
– Contributions are not commensurate with a percentage rate of salary or income, but are due in a fixed amount.
– The pension calculation system is neither remunerative, nor contributory and/or mixed but with benefits defined in a fixed sum.
– The fund provides for a minimum amount for all the pensions it pays out, corresponding to the minimum treatment of the compulsory general insurance (€502,39 in 2015).
– Approximately 72% of the almost 14 pensioners in the fund are holders of other pensions from different managements, the average value of which is 1000 euros gross per month.
From a hypothetical recalculation of pension contributions, it can be seen that - of the pensions in the sector starting after 1999 - more than 60% of pensions would suffer a reduction of more than 50% and that there are no subjects who would have an advantage with the recalculation of contributions.
The complete file relating to the pension fund for the clergy and ministers of religion of religious denominations other than the Catholic is available in the "Inps open doors" section on the website www.inps.it, together with all the others already published.
