11 July 2017, 09:47 GMT
ROME (Sputnik) — The lower house of Italy’s parliament voted Wednesday to cancel life-long payments to lawmakers from both chambers for over five years’ work.
Deputies and senators receive additional monthly payments after they reach the retirement age of 65. Some 2,600 are currently receiving these benefits.
The Chamber of Deputies has passed a bill by 348 votes out of 393 to replace this system with contributions to pensions in the form of deductibles. The bill has already cleared the Senate.
Large pensions paid to legislators have long been criticized in Italy where millions receive much less. A reform attempt in 2012 saw the number of recipients reduced, while the new initiative will cover all legislators.
