During a Senate hearing on October 29, Renaud Villard, director general of the Caisse nationale d'assurance-vieillesse (CNAV), warned of significant delays in processing pension claims if the 2023 pension reform suspension takes effect quickly. He estimated it would take about five months for staff and the IT system to adapt to the new rules. For the first affected individuals, born in 1964, the changes appear straightforward to implement.
Renaud Villard, director general of the Caisse nationale d'assurance-vieillesse (CNAV), France's largest pension scheme, testified on Wednesday, October 29, before the Senate's social affairs commission. He warned of a risk of 'system overload' if the suspension of the April 2023 pension reform is implemented on very short notice, particularly from January 1, 2026, for certain categories of insured individuals.
The reform had gradually raised the legal retirement age from 62 to 64. Its suspension would rewrite this timeline, and Villard explained that it would take 'five months' for CNAV staff and the IT system to adapt to the changes. For now, no bottleneck scenario is imminent, but the official stressed the need for lawmakers to allow sufficient time.
Questioned by Monique Lubin, a Socialist senator from Landes, on the simplicity of the adjustments for the first affected group—those born in 1964—Villard responded affirmatively for those under common law. They could retire at 62 years and 9 months (instead of 63) starting October 1, 2026. This provides adequate lead time, with applications expected from the first quarter of 2026, after the new legislation is published in the Journal officiel.