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Early retirement, phased retirement, early retirement: what are the differences?

Despite the 2010 reform, which raised the legal retirement age by two years, several measures still exist today that make it possible to leave working life earlier. However, in order to qualify, you must meet specific criteria.

Please note: The draft universal pension scheme bill may change these retirement regulations. This content remains valid until the bill becomes law.

Early retirement for long careers

If you started working before 20 years of age, you may be eligible for an early retirement for a long career, which will allow you to leave before 62 years of age while receiving a full pension.

To benefit from it, you must satisfy two conditions:

  • you should have at least 5 quarters (4 if you were born in the last quarter of the year or if you started your career in the non-employed agricultural regime), in all your pension plans combined, before the end of the calendar year in which you turned 16 or 20 years old
  • you should have accumulated, at the time of your retirement request, a minimum number of contributed and/or similar quarters, which varies according to your date of birth

Conditions to qualify for early retirement after a long career

Year of birth
You must have validated at least 5 quarters before
Minimum numbers of validated quarters required
Age at which you can take early retirement
1955  16 years
174 56 years 4 months
1955  16 years
170 59 years
1955  20 years
166 60 years
1956  16 years
174 56 years 8 months
1956  16 years
170 59 years 4 months
1956  20  years
166 60 years
1957  16 years
174 57 years
1957  16 years
166 59 years 8 months
1957  20  years
166 60 years
1958  16 years
175 57 years 4 months
1958  16 years
167 60  ears
1959  16 years
175 57 years 8 months
1959  20  years
167 60 years
1960  16 years
175 58 years
1960  20 years 167 60 years
1961 - 1962 - 1963  16 years
176 58 years
1961 - 1962 - 1963  20  years
168 60 years
1964 - 1965 - 1966  16 years
177 58  ears
1964 - 1965 - 1966  20 years
169 60 years
1967 - 1968 - 1969 16 years
178 58 years
1967 - 1968 - 1969 20  years
170 60 years
1970 - 1971 - 1972  16 years
179 58 years
1970 - 1971 - 1972  20 years
171 60  years
From 1973  16 years
180 58 years
From 1973  20 years
172 60 years

Conditions to qualify for early retirement after a long career

Year of birth
1955 
You must have validated at least 5 quarters before
16 years
Minimum numbers of validated quarters required
174
Age at which you can take early retirement
56 years 4 months
Year of birth
1955 
You must have validated at least 5 quarters before
16 years
Minimum numbers of validated quarters required
170
Age at which you can take early retirement
59 years
Year of birth
1955 
You must have validated at least 5 quarters before
20 years
Minimum numbers of validated quarters required
166
Age at which you can take early retirement
60 years
Year of birth
1956 
You must have validated at least 5 quarters before
16 years
Minimum numbers of validated quarters required
174
Age at which you can take early retirement
56 years 8 months
Year of birth
1956 
You must have validated at least 5 quarters before
16 years
Minimum numbers of validated quarters required
170
Age at which you can take early retirement
59 years 4 months
Year of birth
1956 
You must have validated at least 5 quarters before
20  years
Minimum numbers of validated quarters required
166
Age at which you can take early retirement
60 years
Year of birth
1957 
You must have validated at least 5 quarters before
16 years
Minimum numbers of validated quarters required
174
Age at which you can take early retirement
57 years
Year of birth
1957 
You must have validated at least 5 quarters before
16 years
Minimum numbers of validated quarters required
166
Age at which you can take early retirement
59 years 8 months
Year of birth
1957 
You must have validated at least 5 quarters before
20  years
Minimum numbers of validated quarters required
166
Age at which you can take early retirement
60 years
Year of birth
1958 
You must have validated at least 5 quarters before
16 years
Minimum numbers of validated quarters required
175
Age at which you can take early retirement
57 years 4 months
Year of birth
1958 
You must have validated at least 5 quarters before
16 years
Minimum numbers of validated quarters required
167
Age at which you can take early retirement
60  ears
Year of birth
1959 
You must have validated at least 5 quarters before
16 years
Minimum numbers of validated quarters required
175
Age at which you can take early retirement
57 years 8 months
Year of birth
1959 
You must have validated at least 5 quarters before
20  years
Minimum numbers of validated quarters required
167
Age at which you can take early retirement
60 years
Year of birth
1960 
You must have validated at least 5 quarters before
16 years
Minimum numbers of validated quarters required
175
Age at which you can take early retirement
58 years
Year of birth
1960 
You must have validated at least 5 quarters before
20 years
Minimum numbers of validated quarters required
167
Age at which you can take early retirement
60 years
Year of birth
1961 - 1962 - 1963 
You must have validated at least 5 quarters before
16 years
Minimum numbers of validated quarters required
176
Age at which you can take early retirement
58 years
Year of birth
1961 - 1962 - 1963 
You must have validated at least 5 quarters before
20  years
Minimum numbers of validated quarters required
168
Age at which you can take early retirement
60 years
Year of birth
1964 - 1965 - 1966 
You must have validated at least 5 quarters before
16 years
Minimum numbers of validated quarters required
177
Age at which you can take early retirement
58  ears
Year of birth
1964 - 1965 - 1966 
You must have validated at least 5 quarters before
20 years
Minimum numbers of validated quarters required
169
Age at which you can take early retirement
60 years
Year of birth
1967 - 1968 - 1969
You must have validated at least 5 quarters before
16 years
Minimum numbers of validated quarters required
178
Age at which you can take early retirement
58 years
Year of birth
1967 - 1968 - 1969
You must have validated at least 5 quarters before
20  years
Minimum numbers of validated quarters required
170
Age at which you can take early retirement
60 years
Year of birth
1970 - 1971 - 1972 
You must have validated at least 5 quarters before
16 years
Minimum numbers of validated quarters required
179
Age at which you can take early retirement
58 years
Year of birth
1970 - 1971 - 1972 
You must have validated at least 5 quarters before
20 years
Minimum numbers of validated quarters required
171
Age at which you can take early retirement
60  years
Year of birth
From 1973 
You must have validated at least 5 quarters before
16 years
Minimum numbers of validated quarters required
180
Age at which you can take early retirement
58 years
Year of birth
From 1973 
You must have validated at least 5 quarters before
20 years
Minimum numbers of validated quarters required
172
Age at which you can take early retirement
60 years

Gradual retirement

Gradual retirement is a system with fairly flexible access conditions.

It allows you to receive part of your pension from the age of 60 (two years before the legal retirement age) while working part-time. It offers good way to change the pace without suffering a sudden drop in income.

To benefit from it, you must:

  • be at least 60 years old
  • carry out one or more part-time activities, the total duration of which must be between 40% and 80% of the legal or contractual working time applicable in your company or companies
  • have pre-validated a minimum of 150 quarters in the basic pension plans

The retirement portion paid to you will be proportional to the amount of work you have not completed. For example, if your part-time activity represents 60% of a full-time job, you will receive 40% of your pension.

The amount of the latter is calculated on a provisional basis at the time of your request for gradual retirement. When you subsequently cease all activity to retire permanently, it will be reassessed based on the new rights acquired during your gradual retirement.

Note that some companies set up a compensation scheme to contribute for retirement on the basis of full-time salary.

Pre-retirement

Unlike early retirement and gradual retirement, pre-retirement allows the beneficiary to stop working until they retire, while being paid. This system currently exists in two forms: asbestos pre-retirement and company pre- retirement.

Asbestos pre-retirement

Intended for people who have worked in contact with asbestos during their careers, this system can enable beneficiaries to stop working from the age of 50 while receiving an early retirement allowance for asbestos workers (Acaata) until the conditions for receiving a full retirement pension are met. Its amount varies from 50% to 85% of the reference salary depending on the amount of the reference salary deducted.

Pre- retirement from the company

Company pre-retirement, more commonly referred to as " house pre-retirement", depends entirely on the employer.

It is the company, through a collective agreement or agreement, that sets out the terms and conditions of access: age at which you can retire, seniority in the company, remuneration rate, insurance period, etc. Ask your employer if such an agreement exists within your company.

Contact an adviser now to prepare your plans

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