Starting age, quarter of contributions… What will change from the suspension of the pension reform, approved by the National Assembly?

Deputies on Wednesday adopted article 45 bis of the Social Security financing bill, which freezes the implementation of Borne’s reforms. The text must now be placed in the hands of senators.

The postponement of pension reform took a new step on Wednesday, November 12, at the National Assembly. The deputies largely adopted article 45 bis of the Social Security budget, thanks to votes from the National Party, socialists and ecologists, and abstentions from the central bloc. He plans to pause symbolic reforms in Emmanuel Macron’s second five-year term. This stance was agreed to by the Prime Minister, in mid-October, to obtain non-censorship of the socialists and the continuity of his government. Then Sébastien Lecornu made new concessions by proposing last-minute amendments, Wednesday morning, specifically regarding long careers and certain public service professions. This decision was also largely approved by deputies, with 250 votes in favor, 108 against and 111 abstentions.

Franceinfo takes into account the real consequences of these actions on your retirement. However, the future of the suspension remains highly uncertain, as senators, most of whom are on the right, have warned that they intend to oppose it.

If you were born in 1964 or later

Elisabeth Borne’s reforms plan to shift the official retirement age from 62 to 64 years. This regulation comes into force on September 1, 2023. Article 45 bis of the Social Security Financing Bill (PLFSS) provides for the suspension of progress towards age 64 until January 1, 2028, as well as the increase in the number of quarters for which contributions must be made.

Concretely, this generally represents the possibility of retiring three months earlier for French people born in 1964. In detail, the generation born in 1964 will retire at the age of 62 years and 9 months (like the previous generation), not at the age of 63 determined by the reform. Holders of these policies will get a full rate pension of 170 quarters of contributions, rather than 171. People born up to 31 March 1965 can also be furloughed from the age of 62 years 9 months, with 170 quarters, thanks to the government’s amendment, rather than 63 years in the amendment letter, and 63 years 3 months without deferment. French people born in 1966 will leave at 63 years 3 months, those born in 1967 at 63 years 6 months, and those born in 1968 at 63 years 9 months. Starting from the 1969 generation, the legal retirement age is 64 years.

Additionally, the number of quarters required to depart at full speed will increase more slowly than expected. The Borne reform actually accelerated the previous text, the Touraine reform, which provided for an extension of the contribution period for leave with full pension, with an increase of a quarter every three years, from 2020 to 2035, until it gradually reaches 172 quarters (i.e. 43 years). Elected in 2013 under the leadership of François Hollande, the law came into force in 2020. If Borne’s reforms are suspended, Marisol Touraine’s text will remain in effect.

Thus, French people born in the second quarter of 1965 should have accounted for 171 quarters instead of 172 of the 1966 generation.

If you have a career that is considered long

The government’s amendment also expands the suspension “consider certain cases that are not included in the letter of amendment”explained the Ministry of Manpower, Tuesday. This especially applies to people who started working before the age of 21. The government proposes to advance the implementation of pension deferrals which will take effect from 1 September 2026, so that people affected by the system can “long career, disability and disability” can benefit from it. This will allow them to retire early.

If you are a police officer, prison guard, sewer worker, firefighter, category A nurse…

The extended suspension of pension reform could also impact professions considered “active” or “super active” in the public service, who can already retire early. “It’s a tough job: we think of police officers, we think of firefighters, we think of sewer workers, we think of professional firefighters, we think of air traffic controllers”explained the Minister of Manpower, Jean-Pierre Farandou.

These are the professions listed in article L. 24 (at section 1°, I) of the Civil and Military Pensions Code, namely certain police officers, sewer workers, prison administrative supervision officers and air traffic controllers. The government also wants to include nurses from category A general hospitals, apart from category B, which are considered “active”. If you are one of them, then you can also leave the country a quarter earlier than the terms set by the current Borne reforms.

If you depend on the Mayotte or Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon regime

Workers in Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon and Mayotte already have special pension plans. Through this amendment, the government allows them to retire one quarter earlier, both those with civil servant status and employees in the private sector.

If no other pension reform is passed after the 2027 presidential election, implementation of the Borne reform will resume on January 1, 2028.

The delay in pension reform is however unremarkable: article 45 bis is due to be examined, along with the entire PLFSS, by the Senate, from 19 November.