Can I be retired and work at the same time?
The general rule is that the pension is incompatible with being employed or self-employed and being registered with the social security system. However, there are a number of exceptions:
- Partial retirement allows the worker, in agreement with their employer, to reduce their working hours by between 25% and 50% and to receive the retirement pension in inverse proportion to the reduction in working hours. If the worker has not reached regulatory retirement age, their company must arrange a relief contract with another worker.
- Active retirementmakes it possible to combine the retirement pension with full-time or part-time employment or self-employment, provided that retirement has taken place at least one year after reaching the ordinary retirement age (without any bonuses or early retirement age reductions that may be applicable) and, in addition, a percentage may be applied to the base rate of 100% when the person concerned has a full career of contributions. During active retirement, 50% of the pension is paid. However, if the activity is carried out on a self-employed basis and proof is provided that at least one employee is employed, the amount of the pension compatible with work will reach 100%. .
- Flexible retirement allows a person who is already a pensioner to start a part-time job with a reduction in working hours of between 25% and 50% of the normal working hours, and to combine this with the pension they were receiving, reduced in proportion to the percentage of working hours worked part-time.
- The retirement pension is also compatible with self-employment if the total annual income does not exceed the amount of the annual minimum professional wage.
- The contributory retirement pension can also be combined with the development of an activity of artistic creation for which income is received from the ownership of intellectual property rights.
- Primary care practitioners, family doctors and paediatricians, assigned to the National Health System with statutory or civil servant appointments, may, until 28 December 2025, continue to perform their functions during the extension of their active service and, simultaneously, access retirement, receiving 75% of the amount of the pension for this concept, provided that they meet the requirements established by law.
- In the same way, until 28 December 2025, primary care practitioners assigned to the national health system with statutory or civil servant appointments who have been granted a contributory retirement pension will be able to make their activity compatible with 75% of their retirement pension when they return to active service, provided that the causal event giving rise to their pension took place on or after 1 January 2022, or they had availed themselves of the compatibility of their retirement pension with their appointment as statutory or civil servant health professionals under Royal Decree-Law 8/2021 of 4 May, provided that they meet the other requirements established by law.
Furthermore, the employer's retirement pension is compatible with merely maintaining ownership of the business or commercial establishment, so long as they do not carry out any work.
For personalised information, it is advisable to go to any of the Social Security Assistance and Information Centres (CAISS).