Cap. 318 Art. 85Bonus, Additional Bonus and Cost of Living Bonus.

(1) Save as provided for in article 96 and subject to the other provisions of this Act, a person who, on any day between

January and June or between July and December is entitled to receive any pension (excluding an Injury Pension, where this is being paid to a person who is in insurable employment or self-

occupied), Orphan’s Allowance, Orphan’s Supplementary

Allowance, Leprosy Assistance or Social Assistance (other than that payable by way of an allowance under the provisions of article

30(9), but including that payable under the provisions of article

30(10)) in accordance with the provisions of this Act, shall be entitled to receive a bonus. Such bonus shall consist of a sum of

€135.10 paid every six months in June and December of each year:

Provided that notwithstanding any other provisions of this

Act, such person shall only be entitled to receive one bonus at the same time.

(2) Save as provided for in article 96 and subject to the other provisions of this Act, a person who becomes entitled to any pension, assistance or allowance as is referred to in sub-article (1), shall also be entitled to receive an Additional Bonus every four weeks at the rate of €3.12 per week over and above the bonuses to which he is entitled by virtue of this article: Provided that notwithstanding any other provisions of this Act, such person shall only be entitled to receive one Additional Bonus at the same time:

Provided further that such Additional Bonus shall only remain payable until such time as any such pension, assistance or allowance as is referred to in the said sub-article (1) is payable.

(3) Save as provided for in article 96 and subject to the other provisions of this Act, a person who is entitled to receive any pension (excluding an Injury Pension where this is being paid to a person who is in insurable employment or who is self-occupied), shall also be entitled to receive a Cost of Living Bonus. Such bonus shall be payable at the rate specified in Part J of the Twelfth Schedule over and above the bonuses to which such person may be entitled to by virtue of this article: Provided that, notwithstanding any other provisions of this Act, such person shall only be entitled to receive one Cost of Living Bonus at the same time for any pension payable under this Act: Provided further that where a pension is being paid under an agreement in terms of article 134, the Cost of Living Bonus shall be paid pro rata as applicable to the assessment of the pension rate under such agreement.

(4) With effect from 1st January, 2015, residing in Malta or an EU member State persons who have reached pension age according to article 2, but have not yet reached the age of 75, who have retired from employment and are not in receipt of a Contributory Pension, but have paid between 50 and 259 social security contributions will be paid the sum of €100 per year whereas persons who paid more than 260 social security contributions will receive a payment of €200 per year.

(5) Notwithstanding the provisions of sub-article (4), with effect from January 2017, the rate due to persons who have reached pension age according to the definition ''pension age'' in article 2, but have not yet reached the age of 75, who have retired from employment and are not in receipt of a Contributory Pension, but have paid between 50 and 259 social security contributions shall be €150 per year whereas the rate due to persons who have reached pension age according to the definition ''pension age'' in article 2, but have not yet reached the age of 75, who have retired from employment and are not in receipt of a Contributory Pension, but have paid more than 260 social security contributions shall be €250 per year.

(6) Notwithstanding the provisions of sub-articles (4) and (5), with effect from 1st January 2019, the rate due to persons who have reached pension age according to the definition ''pension age'' in article 2, but have not yet reached the age of seventy-five (75), who have retired from employment and are not entitled to a Contributory Pension, but have paid between fifty (50) and two hundred and fifty-nine (259) social security contributions shall be two hundred euro (€200) per year whereas the rate due to persons who have reached pension age according to the definition ''pension age'' in article 2, but have not yet reached the age of seventy-five (75), who have retired from employment and are not entitled to a Contributory Pension, but have paid more than two hundred and sixty (260) social security contributions shall be three hundred euro (€300) per year:

Notwithstanding the provisions of sub-article (6), with effect from 1st January 2020, the rate due as provided for in sub-article (6) shall not cease to be paid even when the person reaches the age of seventy-five (75) years.

(7) Notwithstanding the provisions of sub-articles (4), (5) and (6), with effect from 1st January 2021, the rate due to persons who have reached pension age according to the definition ''pension age'' in article 2, who have retired from employment and are not entitled to a Contributory Pension, but have paid between fifty (50) and two-hundred and fifty-nine (259) social security contributions shall be two-hundred and fifty euro (€250) per year, whereas the rate due to persons who have reached pension age according to the definition ''pension age'' in article 2, who have retired from employment and are not entitled to a Contributory Pension, but have paid more than two-hundred and sixty (260) social security contributions shall be three-hundred and fifty euro (€350) per year:

Notwithstanding the provisions of sub-article (6), with effect from 1st January 2020, the rate due as provided for in sub-article (6) shall not cease to be paid even when the person reaches the age of seventy-five (75) years.

(8) Notwithstanding the provisions of sub-articles (4), (5), (6) and (7), with effect from 1st January 2022, the rate due to persons who have reached pension age according to the definition ''pension age'' in article 2, who have retired from employment and are not entitled to a Contributory Pension, but have paid between fifty (50) and two-hundred and fifty-nine (259) social security contributions shall be four hundred euro (€400) per year, whereas the rate due to persons who have reached pension age according to the definition ''pension age'' in article 2, who have retired from employment and are not entitled to a Contributory Pension, but have paid at least two-hundred and sixty

(260) social security contributions shall be five hundred euro (€500) per year.

(8A) Notwithstanding the provisions of sub-articles (4), (5), (6), (7) and (8), with effect from 1st January 2023, the rate due to persons who have reached pension age according to the definition ''pension age'' in article 2, who have retired from employment and who shall not be entitled to a Contributory Pension, and however have paid between fifty (50) and two hundred and fifty-nine (259) social security contributions shall be four hundred and fifty euro (€450) per year, whereas the rate due to persons who have reached pension age according to the definition ''pension age'' in article 2, who have retired from employment and who shall not be entitled to a Contributory Pension, and however have paid at least two hundred and sixty (260) social security contributions shall be five hundred and fifty euro (€550) per year.

(8B) Notwithstanding the provisions of sub-articles (4), (5), (6), (7), (8) and (8A), with effect from 1st January 2024, the rate due to persons who have reached pension age according to the definition ''pension age'' in article 2, who have retired from employment and are not entitled to a Contributory Pension, but have paid between fifty (50) and two-hundred and fifty-nine (259) social security contributions shall be five hundred euro (€500) per year, whereas the rate due to persons who have reached pension age according to the definition ''pension age'' in article 2, who have retired from employment and are not entitled to a Contributory Pension, but have paid at least two-hundred and sixty (260) social security contributions shall be six hundred euro (€600) per year.

(8C) Notwithstanding the provisions of sub-articles (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (8A) and (8B), with effect from 1st January 2025, the rates due to persons who have reached pension age according to the definition "pension age'' in article 2, who have retired from employment and are not entitled to a Contributory Pension, but have paid between fifty (50) and five-hundred and nineteen (519) social security contributions shall be the rates explained in Item M of the Twelfth Schedule.

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(9) Subject to the provisions of this Act, with effect from 1 January 2020, it shall be the right of a parent to be paid a one-time child birth or adoption bonus of three hundred euro (€300) upon the birth of a child or in the case of an adoption for such births or adoptions registered with the Malta Public Registry:

Provided that, subject to the provisions of this Act, with effect from 1st January 2022, it shall be the right of a parent to be paid a one-time child birth or adoption bonus of four hundred euro (€400) upon the birth of a child or in the case of an adoption, for such births or adoptions registered with the Malta Public Registry:

Provided further that, subject to the provisions of this Act, with effect from 1st January 2024, it shall be the right of a parent to be paid a one-time child birth or adoption bonus of five hundred euro (€500) upon the birth of a child or in the case of an adoption, for such births or adoptions registered with the Malta Public Registry, and a one-time bonus of one thousand euro (€1,000) for every subsequent birth or adopted children that parent has and who are registered with the Malta Public Registry:

Provided further that subject to the provisions of this Act, with effect from 1st January 2025, it shall be the right of a parent to be paid a one-time child birth or adoption bonus of five hundred euro (€500) upon the birth of a child or in the case of an adoption, or for such births or adoptions registered with the Public Registry, a one-time bonus of one thousand euro (€1,000) for the second birth or adoption registered with the Public Registry, and a one-time bonus of one thousand and five hundred euro (€1,500) for every subsequent birth or adopted children that parent has and who are registered with the Public Registry:

Provided further that subject to the provisions of this Act, with effect from 1st January 2026, it shall be the right of a parent to be paid a one-time child birth or adoption bonus of one thousand euro (€1,000) upon the registration in the Public Registry of the birth of the first child or an adoption, a one-time bonus of one thousand and five hundred euro (€1,500) for the second birth or subsequent adoption registered at the Public Registry, and a one-time bonus of two thousand euro (€2,000) for every subsequent birth or the adoption of subsequent children of that parent registered at the Public Registry:

Provided further that, any claim for child birth or adoption bonus shall not be accepted by the Director unless it is made by a citizen of Malta or of the European Union or by a person married to a citizen of Malta, provided that the parent has been an ordinarily resident of Malta for a period of at least ten (10) years immediately prior to the claim.