Pensions: 41.3 billion in flexibility charges between 2019 and 2025

The flexibility measures in access to retirement entailed approximately 41.3 billion euros in total costs in the period 2019-2025. A cost of similar size to the burden resulting from the introduction of measures to combat poverty, which is equal to approximately 45.2 billion euros.

The report by the General Accounting Office of the State on the medium-long term trends of the pension and social healthcare system underlines that cumulatively in the period 2019-2025 the costs of the flexibility measures in access to retirement amount to approximately 41.3 billion euros, with a "corresponding increase in debt, to which must be added the further effects of contraction in economic growth produced by these measures which lead to the reduction of employment levels and the consequent potential growth".

In this regard, it should be remembered that with the 2026 budget law the Meloni government has produced a clampdown on flexible exit channels in retirement, but in the political debate the League, through the voice of the Undersecretary of Labor Claudio Durigon, has put forward the proposal to extend early exit to 64 years of age to workers who started paying contributions before 1996.

The reference of the Rgs is to the flexibility measures in access to retirement introduced by legislative decree no. 4 of 2019 are those that allowed, temporarily or experimentally, to retire before the ordinary requirements provided for by the Fornero reform. In subsequent years they were extended or replaced by similar measures. This is Quota 100 (leaving at 62 years of age and at least 38 years of contributions), replaced in 2022 by Quota 102 (64 years of age and 38 years of contributions) and from 2023 by Quota 103 (62 years of age and 41 years of contributions). But also the Woman Option, a measure reserved for certain categories of workers, with early access to the pension against the calculation of the allowance entirely with the contributory method, generally less favourable, extended several times with modified requirements and audiences. The blocking of the adjustment to life expectancy for early retirement also made a contribution to the burden of 41.3 billion, with the maintenance of the contribution requirement for ordinary early retirement (42 years and 10 months for men, 41 years and 10 months for women), avoiding the expected increase based on the growth in life expectancy.

Average retirement age is 64.9 years