How Marc Built a Second Pension and Gained Around €400 More Per Month

After an unsettled career in banking, Marc had accepted a monthly pension of just over €1,400. Then an adviser told him about a lawful way to build a second, additional pension payment by working after retirement – for life, with no loopholes and no problems with the authorities. The outcome: around €400 extra each month.

At 62, a pensioner discovers a little-known system

Marc is not a finance professional, but a typical retired employee. He had started drawing his retirement pension, claimed every pension entitlement available to him and assumed that the amount now arriving in his bank account would remain unchanged for the rest of his life.

It was only during a discussion with a pension adviser that he learned of an arrangement broadly comparable to working alongside a pension in Germany, although his case went considerably further. In the French system, the model effectively means receiving the full existing pension while earning an additional pension through new employment.

The key point: anyone meeting the requirements can continue receiving their existing pension in full while simultaneously building new pension rights for a second, separate additional pension.

For Marc, this meant taking another job after his official retirement date – but only under very specific conditions. Not every form of additional earnings generates new pension rights. Anyone who misses the formal requirements may work and pay contributions, yet receive €0 in extra pension as a result.

Full pension plus employment: when the arrangement is worthwhile

In essence, there are two ways of working in retirement: one caps total income, while the other imposes no cap and pays both pension and earnings in full. Since 2023, only this second option in France has enabled people to qualify for an extra, second pension.

The crucial requirements

Marc met precisely the conditions required:

• He had reached the standard pension age.
• He had completed all the necessary insurance periods for a pension without any reduction.
• He had already claimed every pension, including statutory and occupational pensions, both in France and abroad.
• He started a new job with a different employer.

As every condition was met, he continued to receive his original pension while working as a consultant for two days per week. His fee was around €2,500 gross per month, for roughly 18 months. All of these contributions went into a “new pension account”, from which an additional pension would later be calculated.

Had Marc continued working without a full pension entitlement, his income would have been capped and his contributions would have had no effect – no second pension, just more work.

The tricky six-month rule with a former employer

One important detail is that Marc moved to a new employer. Had he returned to his previous employer immediately after retirement, he would have needed to observe a waiting period. Under his system, there must be a break of at least six months; otherwise, the new contributions do not count towards additional rights.

Anyone who ignores that deadline cannot later press “reset”. The contributions then provide no pension increase, despite having been paid into the scheme in the normal way.

How the second pension is calculated in practice

Since the beginning of 2023, contributions from the new role have been paid into a separate statutory pension pot. The original pension is unaffected. This produces a second payment for life, although it is capped.

Cap on the statutory element

Marc’s system calculates the second statutory pension according to fixed rules:

• It is always calculated using the full pension rate, with no reductions.
• Supplements, for example those related to children, are not available here.
• The maximum is 5 per cent of the annual contribution assessment base.

For current cohorts, this means a maximum of just over €2,300 gross per year, or around €200 per month in additional statutory pension. The amount is paid permanently for as long as the recipient lives. The statutory element alone cannot provide more through this arrangement.

Extra points in the occupational or supplementary pension

At the same time, contributions from the new job are paid into the relevant system’s supplementary pension scheme. Unlike the statutory element, there is no equally strict cap there.

At Marc’s income level and for the duration of his employment, this resulted in:

• a second statutory pension close to the annual limit stated above,
• additional points in the supplementary pension,
• a combined increase of around €300 to €400 per month.

Those working part-time or earning substantially less are more likely to receive an additional €30, €50 or €80 per month – but this is still paid for life.

Checklist: using the pension booster lawfully

A clear strategy is needed to prevent the arrangement from backfiring. French rules are detailed, but the underlying principle can be set out in straightforward steps. These can also help German readers assess their own system more critically.

Key steps at a glance

Step	Aim
1. Check the full pension	Confirm that the standard pension age has been reached along with all required insurance periods.
2. Claim every pension	Take statutory, occupational and overseas pensions at the same time.
3. Choose a suitable job	Ideally, use a new employer or comply with the waiting period at the former workplace.
4. Report the start of work	Notify the pension provider in good time so contributions are allocated correctly.
5. Allow enough time in employment	Plan for at least one year, preferably up to two years, to build meaningful rights.
6. Apply separately for the new pension	Submit the special application so the second pension is actually calculated and paid.

Without an active application, the second pension often goes unclaimed. Many retired people do not even know that they may be entitled to it.

Why the timing of retirement suddenly matters so much

In the French system, legislation already provides for a reform of the rules on working in retirement in 2027. Anyone who plans their retirement start badly may fall into the stricter version with an income cap – and then pay contributions without creating additional rights.

In Germany too, every pension reform means that choosing the wrong date can have a noticeable financial cost. Marc’s experience demonstrates this clearly: without his adviser’s tip, he would have given up tens of thousands of euros over the decades.

What German pensioners can learn from Marc’s case

Although the systems differ substantially, the central lesson remains the same: pensions are now a strategic issue, not simply an administrative formality. Those who seek information early can use opportunities that may initially be invisible.

In Germany, it is worth examining, for example:

• rules on additional earnings before and after reaching the standard pension age,
• ways to receive supplements by claiming a pension later,
• the combination of statutory pension, occupational pension and private provision,
• options for voluntary contributions, such as closing contribution gaps.

Many Germans underestimate how strongly individual decisions – such as working one more year, choosing part-time work rather than leaving completely, or changing jobs before retirement begins – can affect their monthly pension over the long term.

Risks, limits and sensible combinations

Marc’s approach may initially seem like a perfect deal. Even so, everyone should realistically consider health, capacity for work, tax and National Insurance contributions. The additional pension is not a gift; it is the result of extra work and contributions.

People whose health is poor or who work in physically demanding occupations are often better off retiring earlier and relying more heavily on private or occupational pension provision. Others, however, benefit greatly from moderate part-time work after retirement begins, combined with targeted pension contributions.

Marc’s case shows one thing above all: retirement has long since become a life project. Anyone who understands the rules can secure hundreds of euros more each month – lawfully, permanently and without risky financial products. Those who merely submit the standard application and hope that “the people at the top” will make the best of it may quietly miss out on money to which they could actually be entitled.