Military pensions are a regime with special conditions that are enjoyed by employees of certain public organizations, such as the police, SNCF (National Company of French Railways), EDF (state-owned energy generating company), the navy, the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry or local authorities.
From this point of view, military pension provision is closer to the scheme for civil servants, although it differs somewhat from it due to the specifics of their professions. As such, it is governed by the Civil and Military Pensions Code.
Military status
According to Article 34 of the Constitution, the status of military personnel is regulated by Law No. 72-662 of July 13, 1972, as amended by Law No. 2005-270 of March 24, 2005, which remains in force today.
The duties and rights of military personnel are also regulated by the Defense Code, in particular, its articles L4121-1, L4121-2, L4121-3 and L4121-4.
It should be noted that military personnel can be divided into two categories: those with professional training and contract employees.
Pension in France
A pension in France consists of 2 parts (at least), a basic part and an additional mandatory one:
- The basic part of the pension is calculated taking into account the number of trimesters worked.
- The additional part is awarded in points based on the amount of contributions.
Does military service count toward retirement?
When calculating the basic part of the old-age pension, the “quarterly” length of military service is taken into account according to the RGSS (General Regime of Social Security), additional information by tel. +33 9 71 10 39 60 or on the website http://www.lassuranceretraite.fr
The additional part of the pension is calculated according to Ircantec (the regime of additional pension provision for representatives of public organizations and public service), additional information by phone. +33 2 41 05 25 25 or on the website https://www.ircantec.retraites.fr/
Basic pension
Life time
After the 2010 reform, military personnel can receive a long-service military pension under the following conditions:
- For career officers: 27 years of service or 52 years.
- For contract officers: 20 years contract or 52 years.
- For non-officers with and without a contract: 17 years of service or 52 years.
In the event of a disability dismissal, none of these conditions are required.
Age limit
Depending on the status of the military personnel (career, contract service, etc.), rank and troops, it ranges from 47 to 66 years, according to Article L 4139-16 of the Defense Code.
This age limit may affect the rules applicable to work combinations in retirement and, in rare cases, the reduction factor.
Service life limit
For military personnel serving under a contract (as opposed to regular military personnel), the following service limits apply:
- 27 years for conscript soldiers;
- 20 years for contract officers;
- 17 years for privates;
- 5 years for volunteers in the armed forces.
Military personnel working under a contract with foreign status (Foreign Legion) have no age restrictions or restrictions on length of service.
Calculation procedure
To calculate a military pension, it is necessary to calculate the ratio between the number of quarters of actual military service and the number of quarters required to receive a pension at the full rate. The result must be multiplied by 75% and then multiplied by the Gross Indexed Income. The calculation is made using the formula:
Pension amount = (number of quarters of actual military service/number of quarters required for full pension x 75%) x Gross indexable income.
Gross Indexed Income is calculated based on the remuneration received by the military personnel during the last 6 months of service before retirement, minus bonuses.
Deduction and allowance
Like other government employee pensions, military pensions may also be subject to a deduction or surcharge, depending on the circumstances.
If a member of the armed forces retires at age 52 or over, and the minimum age for full pension in his occupation is greater than or equal to 57 years, he receives a deduction of 1,25% from the full pension for each missing quarter, up to no more than for 20 blocks. On the other hand, if he retires at an age above the minimum age for receiving full pension, he is entitled to a supplement of 1,25% of full pension for each revised quarter.
If a soldier retires before the age of 52 or the minimum age for receiving a full pension within his profession does not exceed 57 years, his pension is reduced by 1.25% of the full pension for each missing quarter of service, which ranges from 25 to 27.5 for officers and from 15 to 17.5 years for non-officers.
Combination with other pension schemes
Military long-service pension can also be combined with other regimes, in particular:
- income from other activities carried out in the private sector;
- military disability pension;
- income paid by public hospitals or similar institutions, as well as public services not of an industrial or commercial nature, and local authorities.
It should be noted that the military old age pension is indexed every year in accordance with the price increases indicated in the financial, economic and social report of the Finance Law for the current year.
Additional part of pension
The Pension Reform Law, passed in 2003, established an additional pension system for military personnel, effective January 1, 2005. It operates on a point system.
The organization involved in collecting contributions and pension payments is ERAFP (State Institution for Supplementary Pension Provision).
Conditions for payment of pension
It is recommended that you submit your career request to your administration's pension office or by email. This must be done two years before his military pension is eliminated. This way, if any adjustments or modifications need to be made, the future retiree will have all the time needed to complete them.
Since 2010, military personnel aged 35 to 50 years automatically receive an individual certificate of pension rights every 5 years. In addition, since 2011, persons aged 55 years have been sent the amount of their expected pension every 5 years.
To receive a basic and supplementary military pension, you need to request a special form from the pension service, fill it out properly and return it to the same service completed.
Sources:
- https://retraitesdeletat.gouv.fr/actif/militaires/ouverture-age
- https://www.retraite.com/retraite-par-metier/retraite-fonctionnaire-publique/militaire.html
- https://lesexpertsretraite.agirc-arrco.fr/questions/2292978-droit-retraite-ancien-militaire-nacionalite-handicape
- https://lesexpertsretraite.agirc-arrco.fr/questions/1769624-5-ans-armee
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