Start and eligibility criteria

Start of an early old-age pension

The early old-age pension is granted either:

a) from the age of 57 or

b) from the age of 60.

The early old-age pension starts on the day on which the age and qualifying conditions are met.

  • In the event of cessation of professional activity, the pension will start the day following the expiry of the insured person's entitlement to their professional income.
  • In the event of continued employed activity earning more than one third of the minimum social wage, the pension will start from the first day of the month following the month of application.

The early old-age pension should not be confused with early retirement: the early old-age pension is covered by pension insurance, whereas early retirement, which is limited to 3 years, is an instrument of solidarity between the generations and a means of preventing unemployment. As such, it is treated in the same way as insurance years, which are counted towards the old-age pension.

Withdrawal of an early old-age pension

Under current legislation, the early old-age pension is withdrawn if the pensioner

  • is self-employed and earns more than one third of the gross minimum social wage per year
  • has an employed activity with an income that exceeds the average of the five highest annual contributory incomes in the insurance record.

With regard to self-employed activity, a recent ruling by the Constitutional Court declared the legal provisions set out above to be unconstitutional. The CNAP is not currently processing any pension withdrawals related to this matter. Further information on this subject can only be provided following future legislative amendments establishing a new legal basis for dealing with the issue in question.

Eligibility criteria for the early old-age pension

The early old-age pension is payable:

a) when the insured person reaches the age of 57, if they have completed a qualification period of 480 months of compulsory insurance periods,

b) when the insured person reaches the age of 60, if they have completed a qualification period of 480 months of compulsory insurance periods, continued insurance period, optional insurance periods, retroactive purchase insurance periods and additional periods, including at least 120 months of compulsory insurance periods, continued insurance periods, optional insurance periods and retroactive purchase periods.

There is also an economic condition for the award of an early old-age pension. In principle, recipients of an early old-age pension may work, but this may affect the granting, continuation and calculation of the pension.

A distinction must be made between employed and self-employed activity.

Read more: Professional activity

Employed activity

  • If the employed activity is insignificant, i.e. if it generates income which, spread over a calendar year, does not exceed one third of the minimum social wage per month*, the early old-age pension is payable without any reduction.
  • If the employed activity generates income which, spread over a calendar year, exceeds one third of the minimum social wage, the early old-age pension will be reduced if, together with the salary, it exceeds the average of the highest five pensionable annual salaries or income during the insurance record.
  • If the employed activity generates income which, spread over a calendar year, exceeds the average of the highest five pensionable annual salaries or income during the insurance record, the early old-age pension will be refused or withdrawn.

Example:
An employee stops his main professional activity, but continues to give lessons in a vocational school for 6 months of the year. The salary is EUR 500.00 per month. Distribution of the salary earned over the calendar year: 500.00 * 6 = 3,000.00 / 12 = EUR 250.00 per month. The monthly salary is therefore less than one third of the minimum social wage and the early old-age pension is due in full.
* Minimum social wage (Salaire sociale minimum - SSM) per month = EUR 2,637.79; One third of SSM = EUR 879.26

Summary of qualification period conditions

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