Retirement - the plan

Patricia and I are approaching our expiry date, and we plan to hand over our work here while we can. This involves our retirement. We hope it will happen in stages :

1) French pension

I believe and trust that I have just requested my retirement from the French pension system. From request to retirement is forecast to take 6 months, so assuming all is well then we will start drawing our pension in October 2024. When this happens we will reduce our living allowance from UFM accordingly.

This will reduce our support needs greatly - firstly because of the smaller living allowance we'll receive, but also because we will stop contributing to the pension and sickness scheme.

2) Computing pension

From my decade in computing I have a stakeholder pension plan from which I will request my retirement once I have spoken to Pensionwise. I have a telephone appointment for the 2nd of May, so depending on what they say I could conceivably retire in June or July. When this happens we will reduce our living allowance from UFM accordingly.

3) UK pensions

Pat and I arrive at pension age in November 2025 and April 2025 respectively. We will begin drawing on our state pensions from the first available date and reduce our living allowance from UFM accordingly.

This means that by December 2025 we should be receiving no more living allowance from UFM.

What then?

There is a possibility that we may continue to have some kind of role after retirement which will involve travel expense, and in this case these travel expenses may be administered by UFM. All that is to be considered, negotiated and decided.



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