Roland Fernandez, a 72-year-old retiree living in Chorges, has had to make do with 680 euros per month for a year due to an administrative conflict with Carsat. We explain everything to you.
Small pensions in France continue to cause concern, particularly for seniors who depend on the minimum old age pension, officially known as Solidarity Allowance for the Elderly (Aspa). This system, intended to guarantee a minimum income for low-income retirees, remains vital for thousands of French people.
However, certain administrative situations can plunge these beneficiaries into precarious financial situations, as the history of Roland Fernandez, a 72-year-old retiree living in Chorges, in the Hautes-Alpes.
A life turned upside down by a suspension of allowance
For a year, Roland Fernandez has survived with only 680 euros per month, as explained BFMTV. The suspension of his Aspa, which brought him approximately 500 euros extra, transformed his daily life into a constant struggle to make ends meet. “I get up, I cook and I sit on the sofa in front of the television, that’s what my days consist of. I feel like I'm in prison.” he confides. The reason for this suspension? The discovery by the Retirement and Occupational Health Insurance Fund (Carsat) an undeclared A booklet, containing several thousand euros from the sale of a house in Montpellier.
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Roland Fernandez, however, disputes the perception of this money as disposable income, claiming that it was intended to raise his two children. “My daughter went to study in Spain, I had to pay her. There are also travel expenses, the purchase of a car for my daughter, payment for my son's canteen, travel expenses. 'clothing. Carsat considers that with the money from my Livret A, I could live while this money has already gone to my kids. he explains.
A debt that aggravates its precariousness
The retiree must also reimburse nearly 6,000 euros of sums wrongly collected between 2018 and 2023, due to the omission of declaration of his booklet A. Every month, 60 euros are taken from its meager income to pay off this debt, a situation which is expected to last until 2032. The situation is becoming more and more untenable. Roland Fernandez even fears that he will no longer be able to pay his rent. Fortunately, his daughter, aged 22, offered him a solution: “She said to me ‘you’ll come and live with us’, so luckily she’s here.”
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While waiting for a resolution to his case, Roland Fernandez is relying on the help of his loved ones. “As I have a very good relationship with the mother of my children, she brings me food from time to time,” he explains. Shame, however, prevents him from seeking more external aid, such as that of Secours Populaire. “I went to Secours Populaire once, but I don’t go there anymore, because I’m ashamed,” he admits, before adding: “It’s hard to find yourself like this after I’ve worked all my life.” To improve his situation, he plans to return to work. “I think I'm going to prepare some aperitif boards in the kitchen. It's not too difficult work, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to do it. You know, I'm a brave person, when I have to go there I there is no choice”, he adds with a determination tinged with resignation.
