ARCHIVED - State pensions in Murcia among the lowest in Spain

The average pension in the Region is 887.42 euros per month

Statistics published this week show that the average State pension in Murcia is the third lowest in the 17 regions of Spain at 887.42 euros per month, despite the figure for February of this year having risen by 2.4 per cent in comparison with that of a year ago.

The figure published is an average taking into account various different kinds of pension, including those related to retirement, disability, widowhood, family benefits and others, and is precisely 119.43 euros lower than the average for the country as a whole, which topped 1,000 euros a month for the first time. The positive news for murcianos receiving pension payments, though, is that the increase over the last twelve months was higher than the national average of 2.2 per cent.

Of the 249,653 people receiving pensions in the Region in February (1 per cent more than a year ago) 144,116 were retirees, 61,740 widows or widowers, 31,136 were receiving pensions for disability, 11,356 on account of their being orphans and 1,305 family pensions.

The only regions where the average monthly pension was lower than in Murcia in February are reported to be Galicia and Extremadura, while the highest figures are found in the Basque Country (1,250.97 euros), Asturias (1,186.79 euros) and Madrid (1,182.80 euros).

Certainly those living and working here in Spain would do well to speak to their asesor about their own potential income in the future and ensure that they fully understand the level of pension they will receive in Spain.

Propelled by the impending shadow of Brexit we have been attempting to clarify our own domestic situation and last week sat down with our own asesor to ensure that we fully understood our own position with regards to future pension income.

As part of this, we had to go to the nearest social security office to set up a personal electronic signature so that our asesor could ask for this information on our behalf and analyse our potential financial position in the future, taking into consideration the small personal pensions we have from the UK and what we are hoping we will be entitled to after our years working here in Spain.

It's certainly more important now than ever before to make sure that you understand the pensions system if you are building a new life here in Spain, and unfortunately Brexit has made it even more important to act now and clarify your position and expectations.

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