The government recently referred the Pension Orientation Council to adapt family and marital rights. Measures such as extending the duration of insurance for children are affected, as well as the possibility of expanding widow's pensions.
Duration of insurance for children: towards an extension?
Among the measures to be studied is the extension of the insurance period for children. As a reminder, this measure allows working mothers to obtain free quarters for the birth and education of their child. Thus, they can stop working earlier while still benefiting from a pension. However, studies have shown that female employment rates drop significantly after the birth of a third child.
Faced with this observation, the Council plans to offer more trimesters from this point and to gradually eliminate this advantage with each subsequent birth. Discussions are underway to implement new regulations in order to improve this situation which penalizes certain active women.
10% increase for parents with more than three children
With this in mind, the Pension Guidance Council wishes to examine the possibility of increasing the pension by 10% for parents with more than three children. Several options are being studied, such as limiting this advantage to workers who have experienced career interruptions, setting income thresholds or varying the rates according to the number of children.
During their professional break, these employees would nevertheless retain their right to retirement. The Council therefore proposes to link this aid to the extension of the insurance period for children in order to promote better distribution of family resources.
Removal of income conditions to benefit from AVPF
- Review of current income requirements to receive AVPF;
- Possible deletion of said conditions to include a wider audience;
- Better match between the amount of aid and the needs of the families concerned.
The Council also wishes to discuss the possibility of removing the income conditions imposed on households to receive widowhood assistance. The challenge here is to find a better match between the amount of aid and the real needs of the families affected by this measure.
Towards an expansion of widows’ pensions?
Since its implementation, this system has not undergone any major changes. The Council therefore wishes to study the possibility of extending this service by taking into account certain specific conditions. For example, it could be considered to expand widow's pensions if a minimum period of living together between the partners is respected.
This debate on the reform of widows' pensions and the extension of your family rights shows the importance given to issues linked to the aging of the population and the management of pensions for all categories of French citizens. The decisions that will be taken in the coming months will certainly have an impact on the daily lives of many families, in particular those with one or more children as well as those facing a situation of widowhood.
To conclude
The question of the reform of widows' pensions and family rights is far from being resolved, but the work of the Pension Orientation Council makes it possible to envisage significant improvements for the couples concerned. The next steps will consist of specifying the modalities of these developments and implementing the appropriate measures for a better balance between the different family situations.