Retirees voiced growing concerns over the Taliban’s failure to pay pensions, leaving many unable to afford basic necessities such as food or heating during a harsh winter.
Rabia, a former teacher from Farah province, is among thousands of pensioners who have gone unpaid for more than three years. After dedicating nearly 35 years to the education sector, Rabia was forced to retire due to illness under the previous government. Now, she faces mounting financial hardship as the Taliban has not issued pension payments since taking control in 2021.
“I haven’t received my pension since 2021,” Rabia said. “It was still manageable when two of my daughters worked in organizations, but they were also banned from working. My husband has passed away, and now I am left alone with six daughters. I don’t know how to cover our daily expenses.”
Rabia’s story is not unique. Thousands of retirees, including women who are now the sole providers for their families, are enduring a relentless winter without sufficient income. Many describe living in unheated homes, unable to pay rent or cover daily expenses.
In an attempt to address the issue, Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban’s leader, issued a decree delegating pension payments to a special pension rights court. The decree outlined an eight-step process for reviewing pensioners’ claims, to be carried out in coordination with the Ministry of Finance. However, more than a month after the announcement, pensioners say no tangible progress has been made.
“We’ve repeatedly submitted petitions to the government, but no one has paid our pensions,” said Abdullah, another retiree. “Life is very challenging. It’s winter, the weather is cold, and we don’t have anything to pay rent or cover other expenses.”
According to the Retirees’ Union, Afghanistan has approximately 170,000 retirees, 10 percent of whom are women. Despite repeated calls for action, the Taliban have yet to deliver on promises to resolve the crisis, leaving many retirees in desperate circumstances.
Taliban have not provided a timeline for when pension payments might resume, prolonging uncertainty for thousands of households.
