A report on the first nine months of 2026 from Ho Chi Minh City Social Security said the number of people receiving one-time social insurance payouts has been gradually falling.
In the first six months, 58,936 people received the payout, 24% fewer than in the same period of 2025.
In July, 13,101 people received the payout. That was about 3% more than in June and about 22.9% more than in May. The figure fell to 11,262 people in August and continued to decline to 10,756 in September.
According to Ho Chi Minh City Social Security, workers with less than 10 years of social insurance contributions made up the largest group of recipients, accounting for 79% of the total.
Workers with more years of contributions are less likely to take the payout. Those with 10 to less than 15 years accounted for 14.5%, while those with 15 to less than 20 years accounted for 6.2%.
Ho Chi Minh City Social Security said the clear fall from the same period in 2025 was a positive sign and reflected the effect of policy changes after the 2024 Social Insurance Law took effect on July 1, 2025. The new policy encourages workers to preserve their contribution periods and limits access to one-time payouts.
Reducing the minimum contribution period required for a pension from 20 years to 15 years has given people who joined the system later a chance to receive a pension. As a result, many people have chosen retirement benefits and long-term social protection instead of a one-time payout.
According to Vietnam Social Security, under the current policy, people who joined the system before July 1, 2025 and continue contributing will receive more benefits than those who take a one-time payout and then contribute again.
Taking a one-time payout also significantly limits a worker's benefits compared with staying in the system until the pension conditions are met.
If workers continue contributing until they qualify for a pension, they receive a monthly pension with periodic increases, a free health insurance card covering 95% of medical costs, and survivor benefits for relatives after their death, including funeral assistance and monthly or one-time survivor payments.
A one-time payout gives workers a fixed sum only once. It is also much less than the amount paid into the pension and survivor-benefit fund by the worker and employer.
Each month, the worker contributes 8% of the basic salary to the pension and survivor-benefit fund, while the employer contributes 14%, for a combined 22%. Over a year, the worker and employer together contribute the equivalent of 2.64 months of salary.
For a one-time payout, workers receive an amount equal to 1.5 months of salary for contribution years before 2014 and two months of salary for contribution years from 2014 onward. Comparing contributions with payouts alone, the shortfall is 0.64 to 1.14 months of salary per year.
Sources: Dân Trí
