12.10.2026 13:00
Comparing December 2026 and January 2027 for retirement, SGK Expert Özgür Erdursun emphasized that when making a decision, the severance pay ceiling, minimum wage increase, and last gross salary must be evaluated together. Erdursun explained in full detail the severance pay differences employees could obtain based on civil servant coefficient increase, ceiling increase, and minimum wage scenarios.
Employees planning retirement, while wondering whether retiring in 2026 or 2027 will be more advantageous, Social Security Expert Özgür Erdursun drew attention to the critical importance of severance pay in retirement and evaluated the picture with all his estimates and calculations.
As 2027 approaches step by step, many people planning retirement this year have begun researching whether submitting the retirement application in December 2026 or January 2027 would be more advantageous. Critical assessments came from the expert on the subject citizens are curious about.
“IT MAY CREATE A SIGNIFICANT SEVERANCE PAY DIFFERENCE”
In his article in Dünya Newspaper, Social Security Expert Özgür Erdursun emphasized that it is not correct to answer this question by looking only at the pension to be granted. Erdursun said, “The increase in the severance pay ceiling, the expected rise in the minimum wage, the wage to be obtained if employment continues, and the post-retirement income level should be evaluated together.” Erdursun stated that especially for people who have worked at the same workplace for many years and whose gross wage is above the severance pay ceiling, waiting a few weeks may create a significant severance pay difference.
HOW MUCH WILL THE SEVERANCE PAY CEILING BE?
Taking the severance pay ceiling valid in the second half of 2026, between July 1 and December 31, as 73,729.87 TL, it was stated that they forecast an increase of approximately 7 percent for the first half of 2027. Erdursun reminded that the severance pay ceiling is re-determined twice a year, in January and July, depending on changes in the salary coefficients of civil servants. Emphasizing that they forecast the severance pay ceiling will rise by about 7 percent in the January 2027 period depending on the increase in civil servant salary coefficients, Erdursun stated that if this assumption materializes, the current ceiling of 73,729.87 TL will rise to approximately 79,000 TL. Erdursun said, “Thus, the maximum gross severance pay payable for each full year of work will have increased by approximately 5,270 TL.”
Emphasizing that this figure is not yet a finalized amount, Erdursun noted that the severance pay ceiling to be applied in the first 6 months of 2027 will become clear after official regulations regarding civil servant salary coefficients.
HOW MUCH DIFFERENCE WILL EMPLOYEES WITH 10, 15, AND 20 YEARS OF SERVICE RECEIVE?
Pointing out that the effect of the increase in the severance pay ceiling becomes more pronounced especially for employees with long service periods, Erdursun compared the severance pay that employees whose gross wages are above the severance pay ceiling could receive when they leave work due to retirement, based on the current ceiling and the assumption of a 7 percent increase. Erdursun stated that for an employee with 20 years of seniority, only the 7 percent increase in the severance pay ceiling creates a difference of approximately 105,000 TL. Erdursun said, “For an employee with thirty years of seniority, this difference approaches 158,000 TL.”
Subsequently, Erdursun said, “Severance pay is calculated based on the last gross wage including all benefits on the date the employment contract ends and taking into account the severance pay ceiling in force. Therefore, not only the date the retirement application is submitted but also the date on which the employment contract actually ends is important.”
HOW IS SEVERANCE PAY AFFECTED IN THE EVENT OF A 25 PERCENT INCREASE IN THE MINIMUM WAGE?
Stating that they forecast the minimum wage will be increased by approximately 25 percent in the new year, Erdursun emphasized that this increase also concerns employees whose wages are updated in parallel with the minimum wage increase.
“Let us assume that an employee whose gross wage including all benefits used as the basis for severance pay is 40,000 TL has their wage increased by 25 percent to 50,000 TL,” said Erdursun, and stated, “If this employee has 20 years of seniority, the gross severance pay, which is 800,000 TL in 2026, may reach 1 million TL in 2027 over the same service period. Thus, a difference of 200,000 TL will arise.”
Emphasizing that when the wage increase exceeds the severance pay ceiling, the legal ceiling is applied, Erdursun gave the following example: “An increase in the wage of an employee whose gross wage is 90,000 TL to 112,500 TL does not mean that severance pay will also increase by 25 percent. For this employee, the new ceiling valid in the first half of 2027 is taken as the basis.”