The Institute of Security and Social Services for State Workers (ISSSTE) will apply a 50% reduction in the bonus for new pensioners in Zacatecas, going from 60 to 30 days, after the endorsement of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation to guarantee the financial viability of the state system.
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One of the most critical determinations for the public sector in Mexico has materialized after the judicial validation of a structural change in the pension regime. The ISSSTE, together with legal entities, confirmed a modification that directly affects the annual income of thousands of retirees. Specifically, those under the state system in Zacatecas (ISSSTEZAC) will experience a severe contraction in their year-end benefit. The core of this measure is the adjustment to the bonus, a resource that historically functioned as the economic pillar for retirement, and whose alteration has set off alarms among active workers who planned to retire under the previous conditions.
The intervention of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN) establishes an unavoidable legal precedent by declaring the constitutionality of this cut. The central argument of the highest court is based on the urgency of ensuring the financial sustainability of the pension fund in the face of current inflationary and economic pressure.
SCJN resolution: the legality behind the cut in benefits
The ruling issued by the Supreme Court ratifies the validity of the reform to article 74 of the ISSSTEZAC Law. This regulation legally allows the reduction of the bonus from 60 to 30 days of base salary for those who access retirement under the new legal framework. The ministers indicated that this action is imperative to prevent a technical insolvency of the pension fund that would jeopardize the payment of ordinary monthly payments for all long-term beneficiaries.
It is essential to specify that the judicial ruling respects the principle of non-retroactivity. This means that:
- Pensioners prior to August 11, 2024: They will maintain their original right of 60 days of bonus without alterations.
- New retirees: Those who obtain their retirement ruling after said date will be strictly subject to the 30-day payment.
Affected segments and application conditions in 2026
The cut exclusively impacts the new generation of retirees from the ISSSTEZAC system in Zacatecas. Within this group are teachers, administrative staff (bureaucrats) and trusted employees. For these workers, financial planning suffers a 50% setback in their expectation of additional annual income. Although political sectors defend the measure as a “necessary evil” to avoid the collapse of the system, union organizations have expressed their concern about the loss of purchasing power in the elderly population.
Calculation of the proportional bonus for beneficiaries of INAPAM Productive Linkage
For adults over 60 years of age integrated into the labor market through the INAPAM Productive Linkage program, the right to the bonus is governed by article 87 of the Federal Labor Law (LFT). This benefit must be, at least, 15 days of salary. If you have not completed the calendar year working, you must receive a proportional part.
To determine the exact amount in 2026, considering a minimum monthly salary of 9,582.47 pesos (317.04 pesos daily), the following analytical procedure must be executed:
- Calculation of daily salary: Divide the monthly income by 30.
- Base bonus: Multiply the daily salary by 15 (legal minimum days).
- Daily factor: Divide the base bonus by 365 days of the year.
- Final calculation: Multiply the daily factor by the total number of days actually worked (for example, 180 days if the semester was worked).
Companies are required by law to make this payment during the month of December for all workers, including those in the plant, trust or unionized. In resignation or dismissal scenarios, the proportional payment must be settled on the date of termination of employment.
Sustainability of the retirement system: the balance between rights and finances
The SCJN has been emphatic that the adjustment from 60 to 30 days responds to a demographic reality where the increase in pensioners exceeds the collection capacity of public resources. As there is no constitutional obligation to maintain expanded schemes that exceed the legal minimums in contexts of financial crisis, the court prioritized structural stability over additional benefits.
Social security specialists warn that this resolution opens the door to a deeper discussion about a comprehensive pension reform in Mexico. The current debate not only focuses on the specific cut in income, but also on the need to find solutions that do not violate the quality of life of retirees while trying to rescue social security institutes from latent financial bankruptcy.
