The story of an elderly Spanish woman exposed a reality that, for decades, was common among many women: economic dependence on their husbands’ pensions. In Portugal, as in Spain, thousands of women who worked their entire lives at home or in family businesses reached old age without the right to their own retirement pension.
In Spain, the case of Ana, aged 87, became a faithful portrait of that generation. She worked for years alongside her husband in a law firm, first in Barcelona and then in Almería. However, he never regularized his professional situation or applied for any pension when he reached retirement age. “I never went to ask them to give it to me,” he confessed to the Spanish digital newspaper Noticias Trabajo.
Today, Ana lives off the income of her husband, a former lawyer and holder of a lawyer’s pension. “For pensions… not me, not a cent”, he admitted, explaining that his partner always took care of the house’s finances and ensured that nothing was missing.
A lifetime of work without recognized rights
For much of her life, Ana collaborated in the couple’s business without any type of contract. Despite acknowledging that she lives in peace, she admits that her well-being depends entirely on her husband’s retirement. “I have my account, if I want I can withdraw money, but I don’t like it. I like to put it in”, he said, revealing a relationship of total trust, but also of financial dependence.
Ana’s case is similar to that of thousands of women who, due to ignorance or tradition, have never contributed individually to Social Security. The result is old age without one’s own retirement pension and total dependence on the spouse’s income, according to the same source.
Portrait of a generation that did not demand rights
Ana recognizes that, in her time, this situation was seen as natural. The woman took care of the home and children, while the man took care of income and financial decisions. “Life is expensive for those who have to manage alone, without anyone to help them”, he laments.
With lucidity, he also leaves some advice to the younger generations, quoted by: “They should study hard, and with a good career they will look out for themselves and perhaps even their parents and grandparents.”
What if it happened in Portugal?
In Portugal, Ana’s story could easily be repeated and, in fact, it was repeated for decades in many families. Women who dedicated themselves exclusively to the home or who helped in small businesses without a work contract today face similar difficulties.
To be entitled to a contributory pension, Portuguese law (Decree-Law no. 187/2007) requires at least 15 years of Social Security deductions. Those who have not reached this limit can, under certain conditions, resort to the social pension, provided for in Decree-Law no. 464/80, granted to people with low income who have not met the minimum contribution periods.
However, many women from older generations never signed up for Social Security, which left them without any type of contributory protection. As in Spain, the result was economic dependence on the husband, a situation that worsened in cases of widowhood.
Role of survivors’ pensions
Portuguese legislation provides for a survivor’s pension for the spouse or civil partner who becomes a widower, in accordance with Decree-Law 322/90 and Law 7/2001, respectively.
This support is essential to guarantee the support of widows who never had any income of their own, but the amount depends on the deceased’s contribution career.
Still, there are women who, despite benefiting from this pension, live with very low income. According to recent data from Social Security, average survival pensions are often below 400 euros per month (344.03 euros on average), an amount insufficient to cover basic expenses.
An inequality that comes from behind
The generation of women who are now over 75 years old was the most affected by these disparities. Many worked in agriculture, local commerce or as assistants in family businesses, without any formal registration. Domestic work, despite being essential, never counted for retirement purposes.
Currently, regularization and activity registration incentive programs try to prevent these situations from recurring. Automatic enrollment in Social Security for self-employed workers and increased financial literacy have contributed to a change in mentality.
Future of new generations
Ana’s story serves as a warning. Her testimony shows the weight of gender inequalities in access to pensions and reinforces the importance of information and autonomy. In Portugal, the path has been towards correcting these flaws, but the past is still felt in many homes.
This generation that lived without discounts and social protection teaches the younger ones a lesson: invisible work, however important it is, also needs to be recognized and valued in law.
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