Pepe has been dedicated to the automotive painting sector for more than 40 years, where he has been listed for a total of 45 years. As he himself acknowledges, it has been a job that has occupied him almost all of his working life, but he explains that this has allowed him to have a pension of 3,000 euros.
As explained to The SpanishAfter several years of working and contributing to Social Security, he was able to retire and access the contributory pension, although he acknowledges that the process was not immediate. “I had to wait several months for the first payment,” he remembers. A wait that, however, he assures was “worth it”: “I have a great pension, so I have no complaints.”
Now, Pepe receives a monthly pension of 3,000 euros per month, an amount that he considers sufficient to maintain his standard of living without having to resort to external aid. “With the pension it’s worth it,” he says. He explains that he has not needed to ask for financial support from his children or access additional bonuses, since what he receives comfortably covers his expenses.
In addition, he comments that the amount of his pension increases slightly from time to time, although it is not clear whether these adjustments are applied monthly or annually. “They raise the amount a little from time to time, around 0.5% and 1%,” he points out.
Although he receives “a good pension,” the retiree does have a critical view of the public pension system. “Pensions are always low and when they go up, they go up by half.” In his opinion, these increases do not fully compensate for the cost of living (referring to the fact that this is higher). “Housing, food and other prices also rise somewhat,” he points out.
Despite this, Pepe is not worried about his future or the sustainability of the pension system, as he believes that “the situation is under control” and that “there is work for the people who help pensioners.”
As advice, send a message to the new generations. “Working,” which according to him, is the key to ensuring retirement tomorrow and “the greatest virtue of men and women.”