It was a Thursday when the notice came. It was written in small letters on thin grey paper. “You may be able to look at your pension again starting on February 8.” Please use the space you have online to upload the certificate that is missing. 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 next to the chipped mug and the old flip phone on the kitchen table. No phone. No computer. There is no Wi-Fi. It’s just a TV that loses the signal when the wind picks up.
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A rise on paper starts on February 8, 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 “help seniors deal with inflation” and “protect purchasing power.”
But there is a small line in the letter that says the rise only applies if your file is “complete.” If you don’t have a single certificate, a life declaration, or proof of residency, the increase can be frozen like a bank account that is locked.
For many retirees, the problem isn’t the document itself. That’s how you 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 uploaded a certificate of his civil status to the pension fund’s website.
He doesn’t have an email address. He had a used desktop computer that broke down around the time his grandkids switched from MSN to Instagram. Three years ago, the local pension office shut down 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 now online.” He left with the same envelope in his hand and a sense that he had been quietly erased.
This is the hidden side of “digitalisation.” The change looks good on paper: shorter lines, fewer stamps, and faster processing. In real life, it makes a filter that keeps people who can figure out forms, scans, and passwords apart from people who get lost on the login page.
For the administration, not having a PDF is just a minor technical problem. For a 75-year-old who doesn’t have a printer, it’s a wall.
Let’s be honest: no one ever uploads documents that are always perfect and on time. The 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 is not often mentioned in the fine print. The first step is very simple: don’t throw away any letters that say “update,” “certificate,” or “life declaration.” Even if you don’t know the words right away, put those envelopes in a place where you can see them.
Then, before the deadline of February 8, use a landline to call the pension fund number that is on the letter. You can ask for a paper copy by mail, in person, or at a local partner like the town hall, social center, or post office.
It sounds like something from the past. It’s really your right.
Many retirees make the same mistake: they put off doing something, 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 rise is put off “until things are back to normal.”
Another common mistake is to throw away letters that seem too formal or complicated because you’re tired or embarrassed. No one wants to say, “I don’t understand what they’re asking.” But that silence is important for the system.
You’re not the only one who thinks that. One honest sentence at the counter, like “I don’t have internet, can you help me send this?” can free up payments that have been stuck for weeks.
Some pension funds are starting to hear the anger coming from community centers and kitchens. Social workers keep hearing the same thing over and over again:
“They know we can’t get on the internet.” They believe we will give up. That’s how they save money.
In this digital age, you don’t want to be one of the quiet losers. A few simple reflexes can help. 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 read.
- As soon as someone asks for a document, write the due date in big letters on a calendar.
- Ask the town hall or post office if they offer “digital assistance for administrative tasks.” Many do.
- Put your important papers, like your ID, bank information, proof of address, and last pension statement in a simple folder.
- On February 8, talk to your neighbours or family about the rise. One person with internet can help a lot of older people at once.
A rise that shows a bigger issue
This pension increase, which is based on yet another missing certificate, shows that there is more than just a technical problem. It shows how two worlds that are next to each other are different. On one side are chatbots, email alerts, apps, and online spaces. On the other hand, there are landlines, paper bills, and the need to wait in line at a real desk to talk to a real person.
They said that going digital was a good thing. For a lot of retirees, it looks more like a slow exit from public life. Every year, a new service goes “online only,” and every year, a few thousand more people quietly leave the system because they forgot their password, didn’t fill out a form, or got a code by SMS to a phone they don’t own.
People who can get through the digital hoop will get a little extra money on February 8. The others will have to tighten their belts even more, and they might not even know they were supposed to get more.
Questions and Answers:
Question 1: Who will get a rise in their pension on February 8?
Answer 1: All retirees who are eligible and whose pensions are up for revaluation and whose files are up to date with their pension fund. If you don’t have a certificate or an updated document, you might not be able to get the rise until the problem is fixed.
Question 2: What kind of “missing certificate” can stop the rise?
Answer 2: Most of the time, it’s a life certificate, proof of residence, updated bank information, or a document that shows your civil status. The letter or email from your pension fund will tell you what it is, usually by the name of the form or document.
Question 3: What should I do if I don’t have internet at home?
Answer 3: Call the number on the letter and ask them to send the certificate in the mail or 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 things like filling out forms online.
Question 4: Can a family member or neighbour upload the certificate for me?
Answer 4: Yes, if you trust them with your documents and personal data. With your permission, they can make or use your online space, scan or take a picture of the certificate, and send it in. It’s a good idea to keep a paper copy of everything that is sent in your name.
Question 5: What happens if I missed the deadline and didn’t send in the certificate on time?
Answer 5: Your pension is usually not cancelled, but the rise can be put off. Get in touch with your pension fund as soon as you can, send the document they asked for, and ask when your pension will be recalculated. Depending on the rules, you might be able to get a retroactive adjustment.
