My French pensions never go up. How can I check if they are correct?
Increases will not be more than the average rise in salaries
Pensioners living abroad should ensure their address and bank details are up to date with providers
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Reader Question: After working in France for 15 years and being paid via the ch猫que emploi service universel system I moved abroad where I now receive two small French pensions monthly. However, I have noticed that from year to year they never go up. Is this correct?
You are likely referring to your pension de base managed by the general pension regime, and the 鈥榗omplementary鈥� part managed by Agirc-Arrco.
We have not identified any reason why these should have been frozen after moving abroad.
Cnav, the national body in charge of the 鈥榖asic鈥� pension confirmed that 鈥渢his appears to be an anomaly鈥� and 鈥渢here is no reason for a pension not to have been revised for several years鈥�.
Under the French social security code, the basic pension is a social security benefit (prestation), and article L161-25 says these are revised annually on January 1, based on inflation, using the last 12 monthly consumer price index figures published by Insee up to November.
If this comes to an increase of less than 1%, then 1% is used.
For complementary pensions, rules depend on interprofessional agreements.
The one in place for most people says the value of the pension 鈥榩oint鈥� is adjusted on November 1 based on consumer price rises plus or minus up to 0.4 percentage points.
It adds that the pensions are not raised more than the average rise in salaries.
Official information on both types states they may be drawn abroad and do not mention freezing.
However, pensioners living abroad should ensure their address and bank details are up to date with providers.
They are also asked to complete 鈥榣ife certificates鈥� annually to confirm ongoing entitlement. This can be .
We would also note that you should check that the problem is not rather related to bank fees or conversion rates if, for example, you receive the pension money into a UK account in pounds.
The amount of pounds obtained for euros has overall seen a downward trajectory in the last five years and steadily declined in 2023 and 2024, though it has risen again somewhat this year.
