Retirement Surprises: Isabelle’s Unexpected 700 Euros Monthly After Four Decades of Work

Isabelle, a former nurse with a 40-year career, now receives a modest pension of 720 euros gross per month. Despite her husband’s higher income, she feels her pension doesn’t reflect her hard work, attributing its low amount to career breaks for family and abroad. Disappointed by the pension reforms and financial constraints, she navigates her situation cautiously, preparing for potential future challenges and hoping to support her children. She expresses frustration over her pension’s inadequacy after a dedicated career.

Isabelle, a former nurse, finds her pension amount disheartening given her extensive 40-year career in various healthcare settings, including a hospital’s intensive care unit and an EHpad (Etablissements d’hébergement pour personnes âgées dépendantes). She retired at 62 years and 4 months, now receiving a gross pension of just 720 euros. While she expresses no financial hardship due to her husband’s income of 4,500 euros monthly, she reflects, “I’m doing well. But I have the impression, with this level of pension, of having a very small career behind me.”

This relatively low pension stems from an interrupted work history, compounded by time spent abroad. Starting her career in 1983, Isabelle worked continuously for a decade before pausing her career to accompany her husband to different countries. During this period, she either volunteered or engaged in jobs that did not contribute to her pension calculations. Additionally, she took time off to care for her children. After returning to France in 2007, she found temporary work in various healthcare facilities. Born on November 1, 1961, she falls into the first group impacted by the reform raising the retirement age from 62 to 64, hence retiring at the new legal age of 62 years and 3 months.

Despite her extensive experience, she is stunned by the meagerness of her retirement benefits. “How can we live on so little? It’s not decent! I’m not a woman who’s been twiddling her thumbs for 40 years,” she asserts. Due to her fragmented career and time spent abroad, Isabelle missed out on the additional pension increase offered by the 2023 reform, which typically provides an average boost of 50 euros per month. “Finding out that I have to wait six more months for my pension increase (not until July 1, 2025), is disheartening,” she laments.

Reflecting on her professional journey, Isabelle feels let down by systemic shortcomings. As a mother of three, the costs of childcare forced her to pause her career. Unfortunately, the 10% pension boost she receives for having three children fails to cover the gaps in her employment history. Despite knowing her pension would be low, her passion for her work led her to plan to continue working at least until 64. However, her husband’s declining health necessitates her presence at home. “It’s heartbreaking to have had to stop working, and when I see the result, I say to myself that it’s double punishment,” she confides. Though her husband’s pension provides some security, Isabelle remains vigilant about expenses, often shopping on Vinted, a second-hand marketplace. She is mindful of the future, considering the prospect of living alone and her potential need to support her children financially, especially if they face unemployment and housing costs.

* Name changed for privacy

Related Articles