This is the ultimate goal of any retiree. The full rate, which is often synonymous with an optimal retirement pension, is sometimes a difficult horizon for policyholders. And for good reason ! Claiming it requires being able to justify a certain period of contribution, which varies according to the generations and the conditions of employment observed during the career, and a specific age; also subject to different criteria. For the majority of French women and men who are now preparing for their cessation of activity, it is necessary to last at least until the age of 62 and to be able to display between 167 and 168 quarters, recalls the public service site. Values ​​that could change considerably shortly, depending on the wishes of the executive: Emmanuel Macron has indeed committed to pushing back the legal age of departure.

However, it is clear that there are other ways to claim the full rate. Not all of them require, moreover, to fulfill such strict access conditions, recalls Notre Temps on its site. Unfortunately, this also sometimes comes with different constraints. Summary of elements to never lose sight of.

In fact, it is not always necessary to accumulate 167 to 168 quarters. It is also possible to benefit from other devices likely to modify the usual protocol. Three of them are to know, note our colleagues.

The full rate is not only granted to French men and women who show the number of terms corresponding to their year of birth and who reach the legal retirement age in force! It is also for all those who work long enough, regardless of the number of quarters contributed. In this case, we are talking about the automatic full rate.

In 2022, recalls Notre Temps, the age of the automatic full rate is set at 67 years. Anyone who does not liquidate their rights before will therefore have access to them. Be careful, however: the automatic full rate does not give access to the most optimal pension possible, on the contrary. It allows to benefit from a retirement pension equivalent to 50% of the last remuneration, approximately.

Two other situations entitle you to the full rate, even without having accumulated enough quarters to claim it, in theory. These are, as explained above, cases of disability or incapacity for work.

The incapacity for work, which must be declared by the occupational physician, can be partial or total. It often results from a long illness or incapacity following an accident and allows you to benefit from the full automatic rate from the age of 62.

Disability, which can also be classified by degree, can make it possible to benefit from the full rate from the age of 55. In this specific case, it is necessary to be able to justify a disability of at least 50% and this for several years of professional life.