Early retirement refers to the possibility of accessing pension rights before the legal retirement age, while still benefiting from the full rate under strict conditions. Several schemes coexist depending on the reason for departure: long career, disability, permanent incapacity, or hardship. Since the decree of May 7, 2026, applicable to pensions effective from September 1, 2026, the rules have been rewritten for certain generations, which concretely changes the ages and quarters required.
Contributed quarters and assimilated quarters: a distinction that blocks applications
Before checking eligibility for early retirement, it is essential to understand the difference between two categories of quarters. The contributed quarters correspond to periods during which retirement contributions have actually been paid: salaried activity, self-employment, or repurchase of quarters.
The assimilated quarters, on the other hand, are granted without direct contribution. They cover compensated unemployment, military service, sick leave, or maternity leave. For early retirement under a long career, only part of these assimilated quarters counts towards the calculation of the deemed contributed duration.
This is where many applications stumble. A career statement showing a sufficient number of quarters “across all schemes” does not guarantee access to the scheme. The nature of each quarter counts as much as their number. Before taking any steps, it is useful to consult the advice for early retirement to distinguish what pertains to the overall insurance duration and what actually enters into the calculation for early retirement.
Early retirement for long careers: what the May 2026 decree changes
The early retirement scheme for long careers (RACL) remains the most used. It allows departure between 58 and 63 years depending on the birth date and the age of starting work. The basic condition has not changed: having started working before a certain age (16, 18, or 20 years) and justifying a sufficient contributed insurance duration.
Suspension of the ramp-up and threshold effect
The Social Security financing law for 2026 suspends until January 1, 2028, the ramp-up of the 2023 pension reform. For pensions effective from September 1, 2026, certain generations gain three months on their departure age. This threshold effect particularly concerns people born between 1964 and 1970.
Specifically, a person born in 1965 who did not meet the conditions before September 2026 can now access them thanks to the adjustment of the parameters. The decree of May 7, 2026, specifies generation by generation the new applicable thresholds.
New feature: quarters related to children partially retained
Since September 1, 2026, up to two additional quarters related to children can be counted in the deemed contributed duration for long careers. This change can unlock a departure for insured individuals who were missing one or two contributed quarters, without needing to resort to a buyback.
Early retirement for disability or incapacity: rules also rewritten
Early retirement for severe disability allows departure as early as 55 years, provided that a permanent incapacity rate of at least 50% is justified for a minimum insurance duration. The new rules of September 2026 modify the insurance duration references for certain generations, in line with the suspension of the reform.
For permanent incapacity of professional origin (work accident, occupational disease), departure can occur as early as 60 years if the incapacity rate reaches a threshold defined by regulation. These two schemes are distinct from the long career and follow their own set of conditions.
- Disability: departure possible as early as 55 years with an incapacity rate of at least 50% and a sufficient contributed insurance duration during the disability period.
- Professional permanent incapacity: accessible from 60 years, linked to a recognized work accident or occupational disease.
- Hardship (professional prevention account): accumulated points can finance a departure up to two years before the legal age, depending on the number of available points.
Preparing for early retirement: concrete checks to carry out
The first step is to request an updated career statement from your pension fund. This document lists all recorded quarters, their nature, and the relevant scheme. Any errors or missing periods must be reported before the liquidation request, as corrections take several months.
For long careers, a specific certificate can be requested from the Cnav (or the competent fund according to the scheme). This certificate confirms or denies eligibility for the scheme. Without it, the early retirement request cannot be processed.
Anticipating the impact on the pension amount
Leaving before the legal age with the full rate does not mean receiving the maximum pension. The amount depends on the total number of validated quarters and the average annual reference salary. Fewer years of contribution mechanically means a lower pension, even without a discount.
The buyback of quarters (Fillon scheme) allows for the completion of insurance duration, but its cost varies greatly depending on age and income. It is necessary to compare the buyback amount with the actual gain on the pension to assess the profitability of the operation.
- Check the consistency between the career statement and the retained pay slips, especially for the early years of activity.
- Request the long career certificate at least twelve months before the desired departure date.
- Simulate the pension amount with and without buyback of quarters on the site info-retraite.fr to compare scenarios.
The rules applicable to early retirement evolve in regulatory waves. The current freeze of the parameters of the 2023 reform, expected until January 1, 2028, leaves open the possibility of new modifications in the coming months. Checking eligibility with the texts in force at the time of the request remains the only reliable method to secure your application.
