French women and men know little about their pension rights. This is a state of affairs that is the subject of investigations and documentation already addressed by Planet in the context of its latest investigation. That being said, the problem is not only theoretical: it generates a whole series of very specific and above all very concrete consequences. For a significant number of retirees, this translates into a net loss of income. Sometimes due to errors in the method of calculating the pension and in other cases by pure and simple forgetfulness. Many policyholders do not think of claiming what they are entitled to.

The latest survey by the Department of Research, Studies, Evaluation and Statistics (DREES) sheds a frightening light on the situation of the most precarious retirees. One out of two retirees likely to benefit from the Solidarity allowance for the elderly (Aspa) does not claim it… and is therefore deprived of around 200 euros per month. This is all the more worrying since the Aspa corresponds to the old minimum old age.

All in all, 321,200 retirees eligible for Aspa cut their monthly income by 205 euros, on average. The problem, as Planet was able to explain, stems from the difficulty of access to aid as much as the lack of information of the populations concerned. To benefit from this boost, which raises the amount of the pension up to 916.78 euros in 2022, you must make an explicit request online – from the site of the National Pension Insurance Fund (Cnav) – or directly at the town hall. You must also meet a series of age and resource criteria.