Upon arriving at the retirement age and meet the requirements to access the pension, it is normal to think that the company will cancel us and we will automatically begin to collect the pension, but this is not the case, this being a mistake that can cost us money. Neither Social Security nor the Tax Agency will request and activate our retirement even if they have the data, since it is an action that the future pensioner must take.
Alfonso Muñoz Cuenca, a Social Security official dedicated to the issue of benefits and pensions, explains this issue where he focuses on the first question: “Do I have to ask for the pension or do they give it to me automatically?”
The answer is clear and is “yes, you should ask for retirement. In all cases.” Alfonso explains that, for the right to be recognized, it is not enough to meet the biological or labor requirements. It is not enough to have reached the legal age, nor to have the required years of contributions, nor is it even enough for the company to have processed the sick leave. “In addition to all that, the worker must request his pension,” he says.
We have three months to request it and not lose money
It is important to request it on time, as there are economic effects, as well as retroactivity. As the official explains, articles 282 and 53 of the General Social Security Law establish that the collection of the pension begins exactly the day following the cessation of work (without losing a single day of salary); “The request must be made within 3 months before or after termination of employment.”
Now what happens if we are careless and miss that quarter of grace? Well, the system penalizes, since “if you make the request after more than 3 months, the economic effects will have a maximum retroactivity of 3 months from your request,” explains Muñoz.
To understand it better, he gives an example in which “if the company terminates your employment on February 1 and you, through ignorance, request the pension on May 5 (more than three months later), Social Security will not pay you from February. It will recognize your pension with a maximum retroactivity of 3 months, that is, from February 6.”
In this example, the worker would have lost those first days of benefits forever for not submitting the paper on time.
How to request a retirement pension and aspects to take into account
Alfonso explains that the retirement pension can be requested in person at the Social Security offices and online, electronically.
For the in-person route, it is essential to obtain an appointment and provide documentation (ID, bank details, family book if applicable, etc.). For telematic means, it is done through the Social Security Electronic Headquarters with a digital certificate or Cl@ve.
This is where the official, based on his experience at the counter, makes constructive criticism of the system. Although he is in favor of the telematic option for those who want it, he recognizes that the lack of in-person appointments is forcing many citizens into extreme situations.
“A few weeks ago I assisted a person who came from another province, who traveled 170 km to get to the office and 170 km to return home. He traveled 340 km to submit an application,” says Muñoz, evidencing the collapse that the appointment system sometimes suffers.
In addition, the expert points out the digital divide as a risk factor. Many older people “do not have sufficient digital knowledge” or are simply afraid of making a mistake when uploading a document on the web and prefer “to be assisted by an official who can guide them.”
Advises to anticipate
To avoid rush, errors in documentation or surprises with the exact retirement date (which changes every year depending on transitional periods), Muñoz makes a clear recommendation: planning.
“When you think you are close to your retirement age, make an in-person or telephone appointment with Social Security.” The objective is not only to request the pension, but for the administration to confirm exactly what your retirement date is and what papers you need, so that when the day arrives, the process is agile and, above all, not a single euro of retroactivity is lost.