Paco Crespo started working at 14 and contributed for 46 years to the Spanish Social Security system. At 60, however, he was fired after several decades at the same company and, unable to return to the job market, ended up requesting early retirement at 62. The decision had a heavy consequence: his pension now suffers a reduction of 18%, a penalty that remains permanent for life.
The case was publicised by the association ASJUBI40, which represents retirees with long contributory careers and contests the reduction coefficients applied in certain early retirements. Paco Crespo considers that he is being unfairly penalised despite having contributed for almost half a century. "In my case, they penalise me with 18% for life, and that is very unfair," he stated in a video released by the association.
The reduction is not temporary and does not disappear after a few years, lasting throughout retirement. This characteristic has led several Spanish retirees with more than 40 years of contributions to challenge the current system. ASJUBI40 advocates for the elimination of reduction coefficients for workers with more than 40 years of contributions who have been forced to leave the job market before the legal retirement age.
Paco Crespo decided to take the challenge beyond Spanish borders and filed complaints with European institutions. The case became one of the examples used to draw attention to the situation of thousands of Spanish workers who resort to early retirement after losing their jobs at an advanced stage of their professional lives, keeping the debate alive in Spain about penalties in early retirements.
