Child pension supplement: how does it work?

Retiring seems like a distant horizon for a long time… As a young parent, one does not necessarily plan so far at the end of one’s professional life… However, it is up to 4 years of our child that we must make a decision that may have consequences on the age of our retirement. If you have had or raised children, they give you the right to additional quarters, so-called “child supplement”. In fact, to have a full pension, you will have to justify a specific number of quarters. For example: born in 1981, you must have contributed 172 quarters at the legal retirement age, currently set at 62 years. The “child supplement”Is granted in compensation for the impact on professional life that may have the maternity and / or education of one or more children. The rules for attribution between parents have changed: if your child was born before or after 2010, the calculation method is different.

How many quarters per child are you entitled to calculate your pension?

Generally, you can benefit from a maximum of 8 quarters per child (except for a disabled child). These increases apply within the general scheme for employees, but also in that of craftsmen, traders and manufacturers (Social Security for the self-employed, SSI formerly RSI), liberal professions (CNAVPL) and agricultural employees (MSA).

How are the child supplement quarters distributed?

Trimesters for pregnancy or adoption

The mother automatically acquires 4 trimesters for childbirth and pregnancy. In the case of an adoption, the father or the mother can also benefit from 4 quarters of increase, for the impact of adoption procedures on professional life. Note: for children adopted since January 1, 2014, adoption leave is validated under the same conditions as maternity leave.

For parents of the same sex, the choice of the allocation of the increase when calculating the pension is freely decided between the spouses. In the event that no choice is made, the quarters will automatically be divided between the two.

Supplementary terms for the education of the child

You can get 4 terms for the education of the child. These will be distributed differently depending on the date of birth of your child.

For children born before 2010:

The 4 quarters for education automatically revert to the biological or adoptive mother, unless the father demonstrates that he raised the child without the mother during the first 4 years of his life. Proof must be provided within 6 months after the Child’s 4th birthday.

For children born since 2010:

4 terms granted under the education of the child. If no choice is made, the mother automatically receives the trimesters. By mutual agreement, these can be distributed freely between parents (2 quarters for each parent, 4 quarters for a parent, etc.). In case of disagreement, the pension fund divides them between the two parents.

Note: A parent cannot receive more quarters of supplement than years of joint residence with the child during his first 4 years. (eg: if John has only lived with his child during his first 2 years, he will only be able to benefit from 2 quarters of supplementation).

When should we make the choice to share the terms between the parents?

Le sharing of the 4 quarters for education must be done within six months of the child’s fourth birthday. The choice made for each child must be notified in the declaration form.

Note: the allocation of quarters is final. It can only be changed in the event of the death of the beneficiary of the increase, if this occurs before the child reaches the age of majority. If the surviving parent meets the conditions, he or she may benefit from the quarterly increase.

What are the conditions for benefiting from free quarters for children?

To benefit from these additional quarters, it is imperative that both parents (when the child has been raised by the couple) have been dependent on a French or European pension scheme (European Union, Switzerland, Norway) for at least two years. during their career.

Note: if only one of the two parents fulfills this condition, the increase is not granted to either of them. On the other hand, if the child was brought up, during all or part of the first 4 years of his life, by a single person, the latter benefits from the supplements even if the duration of affiliation to a French or European pension scheme is less. at 2 years.

Are you entitled to an increase for the education of a disabled child?

If you have raised a disabled child, you have the right to 1 quarter increase for each parent, per period of two and a half years of education, up to a limit of 8 quarters each. This increase for handicapped children is in addition to the usual increases. To benefit from it, the child must be suffering from a permanent disability of at least 80%, and that his situation gives rise to either the Disabled Child’s Education Allowance (AEEH) and its supplement. , or to the same AEEH and the Disability Compensation Benefit (PCH).

What happens to the calculation of your retirement if you take parental leave?

Parents who choose to go on parental leave benefit from an increase equal to the duration of the leave (12 quarters at most). That is to say that all quarters spent on parental leave will be validated. This

increase is not cumulative with the 4 + 4 quarters below: it is the most advantageous calculation method for the insured that is used.

When should you decide on the distribution of free quarters for children within the couple?

You have to decide before your child turns 4. In fact, if your children were born after 2010 or were adopted after that date, you have the choice of dividing yourselves the 4 quarters of “education supplement”.

Increase per child for the civil servant’s retirement

For civil servants, the principle is different. For children born or adopted before 2004, the child bonus is set at 4 terms per child, provided that they have interrupted or reduced their activity for a continuous period of at least 2 months for each of these children. Both parents may be entitled to it under the same children.

For civil servant mothers who gave birth or adopted after 2004, the interruption of work or its reduction (parental leave, availability, part-time, etc.) is taken into account as working time, within the limit of 3 years per child. It does not therefore give the right to additional terms.

Note: women who have given birth or adopted and who have neither stopped nor reduced their professional activity after the birth are granted 2 quarters per child.