TESTIMONY – Since 2020, Pierre has been in gradual retirement. Although he would like to permanently cease his activity, his liquidation request is still pending, which forces him to continue working.
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– For a year, he has been waiting for his file to be accepted before retiring.
Pierre* becomes fatalistic. This sixty-year-old carpenter no longer knows where to turn. Due to health concerns, he requested, in August 2019, to take gradual retirement. This system allows, from the age of 60, to work part-time while starting to receive part of your pension. On January 1, 2020, he then goes to 60% and receives 40% of his pension, or 680 euros gross per month. “At the time, I had no problem starting to receive my pension”he remembers.
Things become complicated when he decides to retire for good. However, he takes the lead by sending his file by mail in August 2023, for a departure to the retirement on January 1, 2024. He then receives an acknowledgment of receipt confirming that all the documents have been received and that the Retirement Insurance services will process his request. “Except that they have been working on my file for a year and, despite my reminders, nothing is moving forward”he gets annoyed.
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Always the same answers
Tirelessly, he sends reminder emails. Each time, the Retirement Insurance always answers the same thing. Thus, after an initial reminder, Pierre received an email on October 7, 2023 from a Retirement Insurance advisor, whom he authorized us to consult. He tells him that“a processing time of 4 to 5 months is necessary for the study of (her) case”. For the start of retirement on January 1, 2024, he is not too worried and thinks he is still on time.
But January 1st comes and he is still not considered retired. To ensure income (40% of his retirement and 60% of his salary), he therefore continues to work and be in progressive retirement. When he contacted him again, the Retirement Insurance replied that his file was good. under instruction. “Our services are currently in high demand, so we kindly ask you to be patient”is written in the email dated January 5, 2024, specifying that it is not possible to communicate a time limit for processing his request. Same response three months later, on April 6, when Pierre is worried about still having no news about his retirement. In the absence of a return, the sixty-year-old also sends a complaint form and enters the amicable appeal committeewithout having any feedback yet.
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Active in his approach, he even went to a Retirement Insurance office. “I met with an advisor, but unfortunately the only answer I got was ‘I can’t work on your file because there is new software and I’m not trained’.” A useless meeting which annoys him as his situation becomes more and more critical. Worse, he is even advised, to resolve his problem, to go to Strasbourg, more than 100 km from home. “I am 65 years old, I would like to stop working completely but if I stop, I have nothing left to live on because I will no longer receive my progressive retirement”he warns. For this reason, he remains in gradual retirement while waiting to know when he will finally be able to truly retire.
*The first name has been changed
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