The small pensions of France, Annick.

Small pensions in France
Annick, Marseille, La Viste district, 2022
Annick, 67 years old, is retired since 2020. Having retired before the legal age of 65, she has a pension of 903 € and 201 € of housing allowance. Annick has 3 children: Stéphane 45 years old, Lido, 43 years old and Sabrina, 35 years old. She lives in the northern part of Marseille, in the district of La Viste, in the 15th arrondissement. Annick started working at the age of 17. "I have worked all my life," she says, "as a freelancer and as an employee in commerce, catering and screen printing. Her son Stéphane has bought a house that he has renovated, and Annick lives with him in an independent apartment. She insists on paying him €450 a month in rent, so as not to feel indebted. Annick does not take care of herself anymore, she has been cut off from the CMU because her 1100€ income is considered too high. As a result, she rarely goes to the doctor and cannot treat her teeth or eyes. "If you don't take care of yourself, you die slowly", she says. Annick has 7 grandchildren, she takes care of Lola and Gabin, her daughter Sabrina's children, when the couple is working. Her daughter helps her a lot; this allows her to eat properly when she is at her daughter's house, she says. Annick can't get by anymore. "And since the Covid pandemic it's even worse," she says, "everything has gone up: gas, food. Annick is looking for a job to be able to live more decently. Annick went to her social worker to get food stamps. "I couldn't get food tickets because everything had been distributed to Ukrainian refugees," she says.