How will your pension be calculated under Ley 462?

The Ley 462 of March 18, 2025 reformed the Caja de Seguro Social, and the question everyone asks isn't about payroll — it's about the pension. The essentials: the retirement age did not change (57 for women, 62 for men), but the base your pension is computed on did: it moves from your best 7 or 10 years to your best 15 or 20 contribution years. That changes what's worth watching during your working life.

What did not change

The reform keeps the retirement age: 57 for women and 62 for men. What's deducted from your salary didn't change either: the employee share stays at 9.75% CSS plus 1.25% education tax throughout the reform's schedule. What rises in steps is the employer share: 13.25% today, 14.25% from March 2027 and 15.25% from March 2029 — the full schedule is in our Ley 462 guide.

What did change: the calculation base

Before, the pension was computed on the average of your best 7 or 10 years of salary. Under Ley 462, the base moves to your best 15 years of contributions (for those with at least 25 years contributed) or your best 20 years (for those with 30 or more years contributed). In other words: the window that defines your pension now spans a much larger part of your career.

Pension amounts are case-specific — they depend on your actual contribution history. This note explains the rule change; confirm your situation with the CSS or a pension advisor.

What it means for you as an employee

With a 15- or 20-year window, every well-contributed year counts. Two things are in your control: 1) periodically review your contribution history with the CSS, and 2) verify that your employer reports your full salary in SIPE every month — because your pension will be computed on what's on record, not what you were paid in cash. If the reported salary on your pay stubs doesn't match what was agreed, fix it early, not at 55.

What it means for you as an employer

The other side of the same coin: the SIPE you file each month is your people's pension record. Filing late, with incomplete salaries or wrongly flagged taxable bases doesn't just create CSS surcharges and interest — it directly affects your employees' retirement. A payroll that generates the correct SIPE file, at the rate in force on each date, is also a matter of responsibility to your team.

Frequently asked questions

Source: Ley 462 of March 18, 2025 (amending Ley 51/2005, the CSS consolidated text), Official Gazette; Caja de Seguro Social releases. Reference note — pension calculations are individual; confirm with the CSS or a pension advisor.