The number of state pensioners receiving special pensions in the Dominican Republic has experienced unprecedented growth over the last two years, adding nearly 38,000 new beneficiaries to the social security system. According to data from the Pensions Department (DGJP), a total of 37,983 individuals were added to the payroll between the first quarter of 2024 and the first quarter of 2026.
The comfortable pensions are granted to select individuals at a time when pensions granted to those who have spent their life working are around 25% of what individuals were making when on the job. Political will has not been available to improve the pensions granted through the general security system, despite the high yield the intermediaries are making on the deal.
Statistics from the entity reveal that while there were 216,228 beneficiaries registered in the January-March 2024 period, that figure surged to 254,211 by the close of the first quarter of 2026, a 17.5% increase.
Accelerated growth in 2025-2026
The surge notably accelerated in the most recent 12-month cycle. Between the first quarter of 2025 and the same period in 2026, the number of pensioners grew by 22,009 people (a 9.5% increase). This single year accounted for 57.9% of all new pensioners registered during the two-year observation period.
The new beneficiaries originate from various sectors, including government officials in the executive and legislative branches, the National Police, programs for sports legends and Hall of Fame inductees, other special, solidarity, and survivor pensions, and pensions granted to compensate low pensions awarded through the former Dominican Social Security System (IDSS).
Controversy over “special pensions”
Among these categories, “special pensions” have come under intense public scrutiny. These benefits are often granted through the discretionary power of the Executive Branch, leading to accusations of political patronage.
Former President Danilo Medina recently criticized the current administration’s “joyful spending,” claiming more than 600 pensions have been granted with monthly amounts exceeding RD$100,000. “In pensions of RD$100,000 alone, all governments before this one had granted 42. However, the current one, in just five years, already totals 617 pensions above that amount,” Medina stated following a party assembly in Santiago Rodríguez.
Pensions vs. pensioners: The double payroll
The total number of pensions issued is higher than the number of pensioners, as some citizens receive multiple checks. The total volume of pensions rose from 229,058 in early 2024 to 267,170 in 2026, a 16.6% increase representing 38,112 new disbursements.
Dominican regulations permit individuals to receive more than one pension if they served in different capacities across various institutions. This is common among professionals such as teachers, doctors, members of the military, and high-performance athletes who may have held multiple roles during their working lives.
In the final year of the report (March 2025 to March 2026), the number of individual pensions increased by 22,123 (9.03%), further highlighting the mounting pressure on the National Budget.
However, pension plan expert Arismendi Díaz Santana has offered a nuanced counter-perspective. In April 2026, Díaz Santana argued that “solidarity pensions” are not excessive, as they are a mandate of Law 87-01 designed to protect low-income elderly citizens. Nevertheless, he has expressed grave concerns regarding the sustainability of the overall system, warning in his recent book, History and Foundations of the SDSS (2024), that without urgent reform, four out of five Dominicans will struggle to achieve a dignified retirement by 2033.
As of early 2026, Arismendi Díaz Santana serves as the Coordinator of the Technical Commission for the National Health Insurance (SeNaSa).
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El Nacional
Hoy
14 April 2026