Can an individual extend their working years, merging retirement and full-time employment following early retirement, to prolong their professional career?
Working After Early Retirement: A Guide to France's Cumul Emploi-Retraite
Chucking your job early, even with a lengthy career, doesn't necessarily mean you're done working forever. But can you still pick up a professional gig post-retirement? This article breaks down France's rules for combining work and retirement benefits, also known as the cumul emploi-retraite.
Unleashing Your Inner Workaholic Again
It's possible to return to the workforce after ditching your job early, even before the legal retirement age. However, the specifics depend on your situation. The French government allows a combination of professional income and pensions under specific conditions.
Two Flows of Income: Which Is Your Style?
The Unlimited Mix
To enjoy the limitless blend of work and retirement benefits, you'll need to meet certain prerequisites. These may include validating the required number of quarters for the full rate or automatically at 67 years old. Once you reach the legal retirement age (between 62 and 64, depending on your birth year), you gain access to the unlimited mix.
The Capped Mix
If you don't meet the criteria for the unlimited mix, your combination will be capped. The sum of your retirement pensions and professional income should not surpass specific ceilings, which vary based on your regime. For instance, for the retirement insurance basic regime for employees, the ceiling is 1.6 times the minimum wage or the average of your last three months' salaries, whichever benefits you more.
Choosing Your Path: Full-Retirement vs Early Exit
Although an early departure for a long career doesn't preclude resuming work, the unlimited mix is off-limits before the legal retirement age. To work after an early retirement, you'll have to settle for the capped mix.
Leveling Up at 62 (+ or -)
Once you reach the legal retirement age, you can shift to an unlimited mix if you wish. This applies to both the "in-regime" combination, where your new job falls under the same regime that pays your pension, and for transitions to a different regime, where regulations may be more flexible.
Pro Tips for Returning to Work
- Fulfilling the required number of quarters for the full rate is crucial if you want the unlimited mix.
- Retiring early might affect your ability to enjoy the perks of the unlimited mix.
- If you retire early, there may be waiting periods before you can work again with your previous employer to avoid a suspension of your pension.
Sources:1. FranceRetraite2. Pénsonaire3. Foyer RSS
Crafted by Clara Darmon (Expert at France Retraite)
Parter with us | Subscribe | Contribute
Looking to share this content? Go ahead!
- In France, it's possible to work beyond early retirement, combining professional income with pensions under the cumul emploi-retraite system.
- To enjoy the unlimited mix of work and retirement benefits in France, one must meet certain conditions, such as validating the required number of quarters or reaching the legal retirement age.
- For the capped mix, if one doesn't qualify for the unlimited mix, the sum of retirement pensions and professional income should not exceed specific ceilings based on the regime.
- To work after an early retirement in France, one will have to settle for the capped mix until reaching the legal retirement age.
- At the legal retirement age, one can transition to an unlimited mix, whether in the same regime or switching to a different one, where regulations may be more lenient.
- To qualify for the unlimited mix, fulfilling the required number of quarters for the full rate and avoiding waiting periods before returning to work with a previous employer are essential to prevent a suspension of one's pension.
