Many retirees think that their pensions are definitively closed when they stop working. But this is not the case, at least in France, which is where Jean Dupont (65 years old) lives, who has chosen to return to the labor market once he has reached the retirement age which in France, and according to Cleiss (the Social Security of that country) is between 62 and 64 years.
There, there are pensions of up to 4,200 euros, as one former judicial officer who retired when he turned 65. The latest pension reform in France allows some retirees who have worked in the private sector to get an increase in the payroll paid by Social Security when they return to work, but it has to be done under certain conditions.
Social Security penalizes the pension of those who decide to retire early, but this cut will not affect their spouse’s future widow’s pension.
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This mechanism affects the beneficiaries of the system called Argic Arrco in which millions of salaried retirees are grouped. Since January, anyone who accesses the system of compatibility between employment and pension, called ‘cumul emploi-retraite intégral’ (which is equivalent to active, partial and flexible retirement) You will be able to get new rights in the basic pension. And that in the end, as this retiree explains to the specialized media ‘Pleine vie‘ translates into more income.
“I thought that going back to work would only make me earn a salary, but that’s not the case.”
Dupont has explained his experience, highlighting that “at the time, I thought that retirement was completely closed and when I returned to the job market, the only thing I would achieve was improve my income with a salary.” But, with the passage of time and years, he has discovered that “it was not like that and that I could earn more even after I retired.”
This system promoted by the French Government and applied through the country’s Social Security, allows the compatibility of the public pension with a salary as long as the retiree has previously settled the mandatory pensions. Not only those in your country, but those you may have abroad. In addition, you must meet the legal age and all requirements that ask for quotes.
If all this is met, the new contributions are no longer non-refundable and generate new rights.
A supplement of 2,400 euros that is added to the pension
As the French administration portal explains, the new professional activity will give rise to a second pension. In the case of the basic pension, this supplement is 2,403 euros gross per year. Although the amount may seem moderate or even low taking into account high inflation, it is added for life (forever) to the benefit already recognized.
When talking about complementary retirement, the Agirc Arrco system works similarly. The new contributions after retirement allow extra points on the first tranche of salary, which is the one that reaches the ceiling set by Social Security.
For 2026 this section is 4,005 euros per month or 48,060 euros per year. Different estimates from the sector calculate that a retiree who is earning a salary close to this figure could generate an additional 260 gross euros for each job.
Retirement changes expected in 2027
The system incorporates certain restrictions, such as those who benefit from a retirement modality that is compatible with the income limit. In these cases, there will be no new rights or additional points.
Furthermore, French regulations establish that only a second liquidation of rights can be recognized. Once this new pension derived from post-retirement employment is granted, future contributions once again cease to have any effect on the benefit.
The measure reflects a growing trend in several European countries: to encourage the effective delay of exit from the labor market through formulas that allow supplementing the pension and relieving financial pressure on public retirement systems.