President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, signed a decree benefiting 400,000 federal workers with unpayable debts from the Housing Fund of ISSSTE (FOVISSSTE). The measure includes freezes, interest reductions, balance write-offs, and full debt forgiveness to do justice to those who, in many cases, have already overpaid. Of these beneficiaries, 240,000 are teachers. The president emphasized that her administration will initiate dialogue with educators to explain the decree’s full scope.
During her morning press conference, Sheinbaum stated that the original FOVISSSTE credit scheme left thousands of workers in perpetual debt, preventing them from even obtaining property deeds. The new decree will apply retroactively from January 1, 2025, through a centralized and automatic system without bureaucratic procedures, as long as borrowers keep their information updated on the FOVISSSTE portal or helpline.
In parallel, the president reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the Pension Fund for Welfare (Fondo de Pensiones para el Bienestar, FPB), created during the administration of Andrés Manuel López Obrador. This fund guarantees that workers who earned up to 17,364 pesos can retire with a pension equal to their last salary. To date, more than 3,000 workers have already benefited, moving away from pensions of only 30 to 40 percent of their actual wages.
ISSSTE Director Martí Batres Guadarrama explained that the measure is grounded in Articles 4 and 123 of the Constitution and also includes payment extensions, flexible terms, and other actions to ensure the right to housing. FOVISSSTE Director Jabnely Maldonado Meza confirmed that benefits will be applied automatically for registered individuals. The FPB currently holds a solid initial reserve of 46.976 billion pesos and is projected to remain sustainable through 2045, with additional revenues expected in the coming years.
With this, the Government of Mexico reaffirms its commitment to the well-being of public servants, offering concrete solutions for housing, dignified retirement, and strengthening the public social security system.
