This is one of the main reluctances of savers when we talk to them about the Retirement Savings Plan: the fact of no longer being able to have access to their capital while they finish their professional life, even in case of need. With 150.4 billion euros in assets and 12.9 million holders at the end of 2025, the PER is nevertheless the long-term savings product which is growing the most in France. But the idea that funds remain completely blocked for 20, 30 or 40 years still slows down certain assets, who prefer life insurance, for example, for its liquidity.
However, this received idea is false: if the money placed in a PER is in fact blocked by default until retirement rights are liquidatedthe PACTE law of 2019 provided in its article L224-4 of the Monetary and Financial Code six situations in which early release is possible. Five concern what insurers call undesirable “life accidents”, such as disability, the death of one’s life partner… But there is a sixth which is particularly interesting and can even be anticipated.
Use your PER to acquire your main residence
“The case of unblocking that we see the most, in practice, is that for the purchase of your main residence »informs us Benjamin Pedrini, co-founder and general director of Epsor. “Because this purchase is also an element that contributes to preparing for retirement, underlines the expert. Planning for your retirement is not only about planning additional sources of income, it is also reduce the burden on one’s home. Owning your primary residence is one of them. »
Be careful though, you have to take into account taxation in this case. “The release for main residence is taxed according to the classic PER rules. It will therefore depend on the origin of the flows”explains Benjamin Pedrini. Concretely, if the payments were deducted upon entry (the most common case), the corresponding part of the withdrawal is reinstated in taxable income and taxed according to your marginal tax bracket (TMI).
Capital gains are taxed at the single flat-rate levy of 31.4% (12.8% income tax plus 18.6% social security contributions since January 1, 2026). It is therefore necessary to take into account these taxes to be paid, which can reduce the available capital. Also note: this reason for early exit does not apply to compulsory company PERs (PERO), for which only the accidents of life allow early release.
Other cases of early release
Apart from the purchase of your main residence, other situations which allow your PER to be released are: 2nd or 3rd category disability of the holder, their spouse, PACS partner or children; the death of the spouse or PACS partner; the expiration of rights to unemployment benefits; over-indebtedness recognized by the competent commission; and the cessation of self-employed activity following judicial liquidation.
Apart from these cases, it is impossible to touch your savings before retirement. In the event of release due to a life accident, taxation is gentler: the capital is exempt from income taxregardless of the entry deduction or not, and the capital gains are exempt from social security contributions. The aim is not to further penalize savers already facing a major difficulty.
