The notice came on a Thursday and was written in small letters on thin grey paper. “Starting on February 8, your pension may be looked at again.” Please upload the missing certificate to your online space. Someone who is 72 years old and still pays bills at the post office might not understand what “online space” means.
She put the letter on the kitchen table next to the old flip phone and the mug that had a chip in it. No phone. No computer. There is no Wi-Fi. When the wind picks up, the signal on the TV sometimes goes out.
That sentence sounds like an accusation because of something in it.
I also don’t cook potatoes in water anymore: I switched it out for this fragrant broth.
Starting on February 8, there will be a rise on paper, but not for everyone.
On February 8, pensions will officially go up. The news anchor smiles, graphs show up, and the word “revaluation” moves across the screen. Politicians say they want to “protect purchasing power” and “help seniors deal with inflation.”
There is a small line in the letter that says the rise only applies if your file is “complete.” You can freeze the increase like a locked bank account if you don’t have a single certificate, a life declaration, or proof of residency.
The document itself isn’t the problem for a lot of retirees. That’s how to send it.
Louis is 78 years old, lives in a small town where the bus goes by twice a day, and is a widower. He got the same letter: his pension would go up on February 8, but only after he put a civil status certificate on the pension fund’s website.
He doesn’t have an email address. He used to have a used desktop computer, but it broke down around the time his grandkids stopped using MSN and started using Instagram. Three years ago, the local pension office closed and moved to a “digital counter” in the area. The nearest open desk is 40 kilometres away.
The receptionist at the town hall told Louis, “Everything is online now.” He left with the same envelope in his hand and the feeling that he had been quietly erased.
This is the hidden side of “digitalisation.” The change seems to work well on paper: shorter lines, fewer stamps, and faster processing. In real life, it makes a silent filter that separates people who can figure out forms, scans, and passwords from people who get lost on the login page.
For the people in charge, a missing PDF is just a small technical problem. It’s a wall for someone who is 75 and doesn’t have a printer.
Let’s be real: no one ever uploads documents that are always perfect and on time. The only difference is that younger people can fix their mistakes with just three taps on their phones. People who are retired and don’t have the internet just watch the train go by.
How to get a rise in your pension if you don’t live ‘online’
There is a way out of this digital trap, but it doesn’t show up very often in the fine print. The first step is brutally simple: do not ignore any letter that mentions “update”, “certificate”, or “life declaration”. Even if you don’t understand the words right away, put those envelopes in a place where you can see them.
Then, before the deadline of February 8, call the pension fund number on the letter from a landline. Ask for a paper alternative: sending the certificate by post, bringing it physically, or having it filled in at a local partner such as the town hall, social center, or post office.
It sounds old‑fashioned. It’s actually your right.
A lot of retirees make the same mistake: they wait, hoping that a child or grandchild will “deal with the internet thing” the next time they come over. The visit is just delayed, the form is no longer valid, and the raise is put off “until the situation is regularized.”
Another common mistake is to throw away letters that look too complicated or too formal because you’re tired or embarrassed. No one wants to say, “I don’t get what they’re asking.” But the system depends on that silence.
You’re not the only one who feels that way. One honest sentence at the counter, like “I don’t have internet, can you help me send this?” can open up payments that have been stuck for weeks.
Some pension funds are starting to hear the anger coming from kitchens and community centers. Social workers keep hearing the same thing over and over:
“They know we can’t get online. They think we’ll give up. That’s how they cut costs.
A few simple reflexes can help you not be one of the quiet losers in this digital age. You can use them like a list on your fridge:
You should keep all of your pension letters for at least a year, even the ones that are hard to understand.
Write the due date in big letters on a calendar as soon as someone asks for a document.
Check with the town hall or local post office to see if they offer “digital assistance for administrative tasks.” A lot do.
Make a simple folder for your important papers, like your ID, bank information, proof of address, and last pension statement.
Talk to your family or neighbors about the raise on February 8. One person with internet can help a lot of retirees at once.
A raise that shows a bigger problem
This pension increase, which is based on yet another missing certificate, shows that there is more than just a technical problem. It shows the difference between two worlds that live next to each other. Apps, online spaces, chatbots, and email alerts are on one side. On the other hand, there are landlines, paper bills, and the need to stand in line at a real desk and talk to a real person.
They said that going digital was a step forward. It looks more like a slow eviction from public life for a lot of retirees. Every year, a new service goes “online only,” and every year, a few thousand more people quietly leave the system because they didn’t return a form, forgot their password, or got a code by SMS to a phone they don’t own.
This raise on February 8 will give a few extra euros to people who can get through the digital hoop. The others will have to tighten their belts even more, and they may not even know they were supposed to get more.
Condition that is not visibleA “complete” file and missing certificates will affect the pension raise starting on February 8.Find out why a promised raise might not show up on your bank statement.
Options that don’t require the internetThere are still paper forms, phone support, and help from town halls or social centers, but they are not often talked about.Ways to get the raise even if you don’t have internet access
Group planSeveral retirees can get together with their neighbors, family, and local services to share their tech skills.Facing the process together will help you relax and keep your money.
Questions and Answers:
Question 1: Who will see their pension go up on February 8?
Answer 1: All eligible retirees whose pensions are up for revaluation and whose files are up to date with their pension fund. Those who don’t have a certificate or an updated document may not be able to get the increase until the situation is fixed.
Number 2 QuestionWhat kind of “missing certificate” can stop the raise?
Answer 2: Most of the time, it’s a life certificate, proof of residence, updated bank information, or a civil status document. The letter or email from your pension fund will tell you exactly what it is, usually by the name of the form or document.
Third questionWhat should I do if I don’t have internet at home?
Call the number on the letter and ask them to send the certificate by mail or to take care of it at a partner desk. You can also ask at the town hall, social services, or a post office if they can help you with online administrative tasks.
Question 4Can a family member or neighbor upload the certificate for me?
Answer 4Yes, if you trust them with your documents and personal data. They can create or use your online space with your permission, scan or photograph the certificate, and submit it. It’s wise to keep a paper copy of everything that is sent in your name.
Question 5What if I missed the deadline and didn’t send the certificate in time?
Answer 5Your pension is usually not canceled, but the raise can be postponed. Contact your pension fund as quickly as possible, send the requested document, and ask from which date your pension will be recalculated. You can sometimes obtain a retroactive adjustment, depending on the rules applied.
