Spain lets self-employed pensioners work and draw their pension
The Spanish Government approves flexible retirement for the self-employed: pensioners will be able to work part-time and receive part of their pension. Opportunity or warning sign.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Self-employed pensioners: working and drawing a pension is now possible
The Spanish Government has approved a royal decree extending flexible retirement to the self-employed, allowing those already retired to return to self-employment part-time while receiving part of their pension. The measure, which until now only benefited salaried workers, comes amid growing pressure on the public pension system. The reaction in economic and social circles was swift: while some see it as an opportunity for flexibility, others interpret it as a warning sign about the system's sustainability.
Scepticism dominates the public conversation
The Cabinet's decision, put forward by the PSOE (Spain's Socialist Party), has drawn criticism from those who believe pensioners should not have to keep working after a lifetime in the workforce. On social media and online communities, sceptical comments abound: "paying to work", "at 80 you become a plumber", or the suspicion that pension funds are running out. The analysis reflects widespread distrust of the management of the Seguridad Social (Spain's social security system) and the feeling that the reform is a patch for a structural problem.
What no analysis has managed to explain is how self-employment income will be reconciled with the pension, or whether the conditions will really be attractive for older people. The question remains open.
Related debates in the forum
The Spanish Government has approved a royal decree extending flexible retirement to the self-employed, allowing those already retired to return to self-employment part-time while receiving part of their pension. The measure, which until now only benefited salaried workers, comes amid growing pressure on the public pension system. The reaction in economic and social circles was swift: while some see it as an opportunity for flexibility, others interpret it as a warning sign about the system's sustainability.
Scepticism dominates the public conversation
The Cabinet's decision, put forward by the PSOE (Spain's Socialist Party), has drawn criticism from those who believe pensioners should not have to keep working after a lifetime in the workforce. On social media and online communities, sceptical comments abound: "paying to work", "at 80 you become a plumber", or the suspicion that pension funds are running out. The analysis reflects widespread distrust of the management of the Seguridad Social (Spain's social security system) and the feeling that the reform is a patch for a structural problem.
What no analysis has managed to explain is how self-employment income will be reconciled with the pension, or whether the conditions will really be attractive for older people. The question remains open.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (27 replies).
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