As promised by François Bayrou before his fall, the government will partly take up the conclusions of the “conclave” on pensions. THE social security financing bill (PLFSS) for 2026, presented this Tuesday, October 14 to the Council of Ministers, provides for two measures favorable to the pension of mothers. While their direct pension (excluding survivor’s pension) represents only 62% of that of men, the social partners, meeting for several months to improve the 2023 pension reform – suspended today by Sébastien Lecornu -, had agreed to bridge this gap. This will be done, to a limited extent, if the Social Security budget is adopted as it stands in Parliament.
Because the bill includes one of the rare progress of the conclavenamely a change in the method of calculating mothers’ pensions. While the reference salary taken into account to determine the retirement of a private sector employee is based on their best 25 years of career, this basic salary will now be calculated from “of the 24 best career years for mothers of one child, and of the 23 best career years for mothers of two or more children”specifies the PLFSS 2026 press kit. A measure which aims to repair an injustice suffered by women compared to men, since their salaries are on average 14.1% lower in full-time equivalent to those of men.
Two more quarters for early departure for long careers
According to the government, the measure, which will come into force for retirements occurring from 2026, should generate a pension increase for 50% of women. A gain however limitedsince as Marilyn Vilardebo, president and founder of the firm Origami&Co, explained to Capital at the end of June, “a mother of a child who received income equivalent to the annual Social Security ceiling (PASS, 47,100 euros in 2025, Editor’s note) for 24 years and worked on the minimum wage for the rest of her career will see her gross pension increase by 40 euros per month”.
Another measure favorable to mothers and resulting from the conclave appears in the draft budget for 2026. The text plans to increase the duration of insurance retained for the opening of a early retirement for long careerwithin the limit of two quarters. This little bonus would come into force from September 2026. And “will allow more than 13,000 women born after 1970 to benefit from early retirement”specifies the press kit for the Social Security budget.
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