Early contributory pension at age 64: requirements, thresholds and prospects for reform

To access the contributory early pension you need at least 20 years of actual contributions until 2026. The notional contribution is not included in the calculation and therefore the individual periods present in the insurance position must be carefully checked. Furthermore, it is not enough to have reached the contribution requirement. The law also establishes a condition linked to the value of the pension: the first installment must be at least equal to three times the monthly amount of the social allowance. For 2026 the threshold corresponds to 1,638.72 euros per month. For female workers, reduced thresholds are envisaged in the presence of children. The limit drops to 2.8 times the social allowance for women with one child and to 2.6 times for those with at least two children.

For further information: Can you receive a pension without ever having paid contributions? The possible routes

It is precisely the economic requirement that makes this form of retirement particularly selective. Two people with the same age and identical seniority of contributions can in fact find themselves in different conditions: if the calculated allowance does not reach the minimum level established by the law, leaving at 64 is not possible. The regulations also provide for a cap on the amount of the contributory early pension. Until reaching the age required for the old-age pension, the payment cannot exceed five times the amount of the minimum payment. The limit ceases upon reaching the age required for the old-age pension, according to the rules established by law.

Achieving the requirements does not necessarily coincide with immediate retirement. After having fulfilled all the required conditions, you must wait a three-month window before the treatment begins. Timing therefore becomes an element to consider when planning to leave work: the moment in which you turn 64 or reach the necessary contribution seniority does not automatically correspond to the date of the first payment. Then there is a difference linked to the professional situation. To obtain an early pension, termination of the employment relationship is required. However, those who carry out a self-employed activity are not required to interrupt it to access treatment.

Current requirements will not remain unchanged. From 2027 the age requirement will rise to 64 years and one month, while 20 years and one month will be necessary for the actual contribution. A further adjustment is expected in 2028: 64 years and three months of age and 20 years and three months of actual contributions will be required. For those who are close to the thresholds, therefore, the moment in which the requirements are completed can affect the possibility and timing of accessing the pension.

The extension of the pension to 64 years to a wider range of workers is one of the issues destined to enter into discussion on the next Budget Law. The hypothesis, supported by the League, would also concern those who started paying contributions before 1996 and therefore today fall under the mixed system. According to what was declared by the Undersecretary of Labor Claudio Durigon, the proposal could affect around 80 thousand additional retirements, with an estimated cost of around 1.5 billion euros per year. However, the proposed mechanism would provide for an important condition: to access early exit, those belonging to the mixed system would have to accept the entirely contributory recalculation of the allowance. In essence, the possible possibility of stopping working earlier would be accompanied by a potentially lower pension than that determined by maintaining the mixed system.

The possible change is part of a broader discussion on pensions, destined to characterize the economic maneuver in view of 2027. Among the positions that have emerged in recent weeks, Forza Italia has indicated the increase in minimum pensions as a priority, while the League has placed emphasis on bringing early retirement to 64 also for workers currently excluded from the contributory early pension. At the moment, these are hypotheses under discussion and not a regulation that is already applicable. For those with contributions prior to 1996, therefore, access to the pension at 64 remains linked to the rules currently in force, barring any legislative interventions.

Before planning for retirement it is essential to examine your contribution history. The social security account statement allows you to check the presence and nature of the different periods paid and to identify any elements that could affect the achievement of the requirement. Likewise, the estimate of the allowance must be considered, because exceeding the minimum threshold represents an indispensable condition for early withdrawal from contributions. Age, useful contribution and pension amount must therefore be evaluated together. For those who started contributing after 1 January 1996, the pension at 64 can represent an early exit channel, provided that all the requirements are met.

A further element to consider concerns supplementary pension provision: in 2026 it cannot be used to reach the minimum threshold required for access to the contributory early pension. This aspect also makes it necessary to carefully check your situation before deciding when to stop working.

For further information: Early retirement at 64, CGIL against proposal: "Hundreds of euros less per month"