Regarding this matter, Vietnam Social Insurance responds as follows:

According to the new Social Insurance Law, which comes into effect on July 1, 2025, participants in voluntary social insurance are eligible for a pension when they reach the retirement age specified in Clause 2, Article 169 of the Labor Code and have paid voluntary social insurance for at least 15 years.

According to Clause 2, Article 169 of the 2019 Labor Code and Decree No. 135/2020/ND-CP dated November 18, 2020, issued by the Government, the retirement age for female workers from January 1, 2021, is 55 years and 4 months. Each subsequent year, this age increases by 4 months until it reaches 60 years in 2035.

In Ms. Hanh’s case, at 53 years old, with 5 years of voluntary social insurance contributions, if she continues paying voluntary social insurance until she is 60 years old (in 2031), she will have 12 years of voluntary social insurance contributions, which is not enough to qualify for the pension benefits.

Therefore, Ms. Hanh should continue participating in voluntary social insurance until she has 15 years of contributions to receive a monthly pension for life. Ms. Hanh will also receive a free health insurance card and enjoy other benefits related to pensioners.