Progressive retirement of the employee

Verified 21 February 2025 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

Progressive pension application form common to all legally binding basic pension schemes

The application form for progressive retirement common to all legally binding basic pension schemes provided for by the Decree of 19 February 2025 has not yet been published.

It will be presented on this page as soon as it is available.

In the short term, the online service offered by the official Info Retraite website already allows for a single application valid for all pension funds.

You are employed in the private sector and you want to reduce your professional activity at the end of your career as you approach your retirement? The phased retirement scheme allows for this. We'll explain the conditions.

What is phased retirement? Find in pictures the essential information to know about this device.

Vidéo - The main point on phased retirement
Credits : Pension insurance

What is phased retirement?

Progressive retirement allows people to work while receiving part of their retirement and continuing to contribute to improve their pension.

It is possible from the age of 60, if you were born before September 1, 1961.

Were you born between September 1, 1961, and December 31, 1967? The minimum age for a gradual retirement is gradually increasing at a rate of 3 months per generation.

If you were born on or after January 1, 1968, the minimum age for gradual retirement is 62.

To achieve a phased retirement, you need to combine at least 150 quarters and reduce your activity.

This pension is subject to different conditions depending on whether you are employed or self-employed.

Your share of paid retirement depends on how long you are working if you are an employed person.

It is proportional to the reduction in your professional income if you are self-employed.

How do I calculate my term if I work part-time?

The quarters are not calculated on the basis of working time but on the basis of the working income subject to contributions.

To post a quarter, you must have contributed a minimum amount.

Your employer may allow you to contribute on a full-time basis, which would allow you to retire as if you had worked full-time until you stopped working altogether.

In this case, your employer will provide you with a written agreement.

How do I apply for a phased retirement?

6 months before the starting point of your gradual retirement, complete the application form and have your employer complete the gradual retirement certificate, if you are an employee.

If you do not return from your employer within two months of your request, your request will be considered accepted.

Your working arrangements, on the other hand, will have to be defined with your employer.

These documents can be downloaded from the website lassurances anceretraiture.fr

Then send both forms to your pension fund by mail or online

Importantly, if you apply for a phased retirement, you will need to apply for a second one at the time of your final retirement.

You will therefore need to complete two separate pension applications.

For more information on phased retirement, visit lassurances anceretraiture.fr.

Progressive retirement is a device that allows you, late career, to work part-time (or reduced-time if you are a package employee) and collect, simultaneously, a part of your pensions (basic and complementary).

During that period, you continue to contribute to retirement. You can choose to over-contribute, i.e. contribute to retirement on the basis of a full-time salary.

When you stop working completely, your final retirement is recalculated taking into account the period during which you continued to work part-time (or reduced-time).

You can learn more about phased retirement using an online service:

Course Info Retirement - Progressive Retirement

You can apply for a gradual retirement 2 years before the statutory minimum retirement age :

Tableau - Age at which you can start a gradual retirement

You were born:

You can start a gradual retirement from:

Before 1er september 1961

60 years

Between 1er September 1961 and December 31, 1961

60 years and 3 months

In 1962

60 years and 6 months

In 1963

60 years and 9 months

In 1964

61 yrs

In 1965

61 years and 3 months

In 1966

61 years and 6 months

In 1967

61 years and 9 months

From 1er january 1968

62 yrs

You must also meet the following 2 conditions:

  • Proof of a period of insurance and periods recognized as equivalent to 150 quarters with one or more basic pension funds
  • To engage in an activity as an employed or self-employed person on a part-time basis (or on a reduced basis in relation to the legal or contractual working time expressed in days or half-days) of between 40% and 80% full-time. You can apply for a gradual retirement if you were already part-time before meeting the other 2 age and duration conditions.

Please note

You cannot to benefit from progressive retirement if you are engaged exclusively in certain activities (administrator of a mutual association, sale of new goods that you make, etc.).

You can apply for a phased retirement online on the Retirement Info site using the service Applying for my phased retirement.

My Retirement Account

This service allows you to make a single application valid for all pension funds to which you have rights.

The service Applying for my phased retirement forward your request to them.

To apply for a phased retirement, you must have a graduated retirement certificate completed by your employer. It will have to be attached to your application.

Employer attestation for phased retirement

You are also invited to download this document on the Retirement Info site when you start your process.

Application for phased retirement must be made at the earliest 5 months before the desired date.

You can submit the completed form and its supporting documents immediately or save them for up to 90 days and return to them later.

If you don't have internet access, you can apply for a phased retirement by using a form:

Progressive pension claim - General scheme employee

This form is to be sent to the pension fund or one of the pension funds to which you belong on the date of your application for progressive retirement.

You can find a list of the pension funds you have contributed to during your career and their contact details, using an online service:

Know your pension plans

You must attach the completed Progressive Retirement Certificate from your employer.

You must also attach documents to your application that vary according to your situation.

A receipt for your application and the accompanying documents shall be issued to you.

Your admission to gradual retirement leads to provisional calculation of your retirement pension Pension Insurance according to your rights at the time of your request.

During your gradual retirement, you receive a part of your pension to supplement your part-time working income.

The amount of pension you receive varies according to how long you work part-time compared to the statutory or contractual maximum.

The amount of your retirement pension is equal to the difference between 100% and your share of part-time (or reduced-time) work.

For example, part-time at 60% entitles you to 40% the amount of your temporary retirement.

The same portion of your pension is granted to you by any other basic pension plans to which you have rights.

For this purpose, the Pension Insurance communicates the following information to the other basic pension funds to which you have rights:

  • The date from which you start a phased retirement
  • The rate of the pension portion that is paid to you and any changes to that rate
  • If this happens, the date on which your phased retirement payment is removed or suspended
  • The date on which you are admitted to final retirement and receive your full retirement pension.

You can simulate the amount of your phased retirement from your retirement account with the service My Retirement Estimate :

My Retirement Account

Your retirement pension fraction may vary during certain events:

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Your part-time work time changes

If your working time changes (always between 40% and 80% of a full time), you must report this to your Carsat.

The amount of your pension is revised to 1er day of calendar month according to the one where the change occurred.

You're changing your job

You must inform your Carsat of any change of part-time activity and forward the corresponding employment contract.

You no longer meet the conditions for a phased retirement

The payment of your phased retirement is suspended if you no longer meet the conditions to benefit from it.

For example, if your part-time work time falls below 40% or above 80% a full time.

The payment of your phased retirement is suspended from 1er the day of the month following the month in which you no longer qualify.

The payment of your phased retirement begins on the 1er the day of the month following the month in which you requalify.

You must bring the supporting documents corresponding to your Carsat.

You are resuming full-time activity

If you return to full-time work, your phased retirement will end definitely to have paid you.

Your phased retirement will cease to be paid as of 1er the day of the month following your full-time reopening.

Your part-time income becomes higher than your previous income

If the income from your part-time (or reduced-time) work reaches or exceeds the amount of income you received before your gradual retirement, the gradual retirement ceases definitely to have paid you.

Your phased retirement will cease to be paid as of 1er the day of the month following the month in which your income reached or exceeded your previous income.

FYI  

The amount of income you earned before your gradual retirement is updated to reflect wage revaluation coefficients.

When you apply for your final retirement, the portion of your retirement pension paid to you during your progressive retirement, in addition to your working income, is replaced by your full retirement pension.

Your full retirement pension is calculated taking into account:

  • The amount of your retirement pension, which was calculated when you transitioned to gradual retirement
  • And the period of gradual retirement during which you worked part-time (or reduced-time) and continue to contribute for retirement.

Your full retirement pension is calculated within usual conditions.

However, it may not be less than the provisional amount that was calculated when you retired gradually based on your entitlement at that time.

Once you have retired permanently, if you continue or resume a professional activity, the exercise of that professional activity is subject to the rules of the job-pension cumulation.

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