Argentina state support for those over 65 and no contributions - PUAM

Did you know that if you have lived as a foreigner in Argentina for 20+ years you should be eligible for a PUAM state pension over the age of 65? It's 80% of the minimum.

Adri is an accountant and we checked this out as legit, but it's worth double checking the small print on your DNI because it shows two dates - one where you entered the country and the other, usually three years later, which is called radicacion. It seems the latter date is the important one. Also, you don't need to have made the full contributions.

I also checked if there is any conflict with receiving a state pension outside Argentina eg UK and you can receive a pension in two different countries apparently, according to the UK DWP.

On the other hand, if you take Argentine citizenship, it's ten years residence.

Quote from UK Man

As far as I know I've contributed nowt so will get nowt.

You don't have to have contributed, that's my whole point.

According to my wife, to get the full pension you need to have contributed 30 years, but the PUAM scheme doesn't require that.

As I'm self employed, I've been paying the monthly monotributo amount for years and will check to see how many years that's been, but it wouldn't be enough for the full pension, hence my original post.

It's definitely worth looking into.

Quote from UK Man

To get something you have to have contributed the minimum amount. I have paid nothing.

No, you don't have to have contributed to receive the PUAM , according to my accountant wife.

Anyway, we have an appointment for Friday with the local ANSES to check my status and to see if the 20 year residence requirement runs from DNI date or DNI approval date.

Apparently, if you get citizenship, you receive it automatically, but I will confirm.

Quote from UK Man

It all seems too good to be true. Good luck anyway and let us know how you get on.

We made an appointment online a few weeks ago, arrived today and were seen within five minutes of arriving which was amazing. It's a very efficient system indeed.

Anyway, to our very pleasant surprise, the date from which I'll be eligible is the earlier one, which in my case is October 2005, so that's when I can apply (Oct 2025).

It's not a pension by the way, but social security for pensioners who haven't made enough contributions, so you don't need to have made any contributions. I do and have been for nearly 20 years (you need 30 for a full pension) so it will be nice to get at least something back.

Quote from Splinter

We made an appointment online a few weeks ago, arrived today and were seen within five minutes of arriving which was amazing. It's a very efficient system indeed.

Anyway, to our very pleasant surprise, the date from which I'll be eligible is the earlier one, which in my case is October 2005, so that's when I can apply (Oct 2025).

It's not a pension by the way, but social security for pensioners who haven't made enough contributions, so you don't need to have made any contributions. I do and have been for nearly 20 years (you need 30 for a full pension) so it will be nice to get at least something back.

Since writing this, the rules must have changed because you can no longer be registered as self employed/monotruibuto to receive PUAM. So, due to a fall off in my business, I removed myself from it and we had another meeting with ANSES yesterday.

This system is extremely efficient and I was seen within five minutes of arriving, unlike my later experience at Banco Nacion!

The fellow was extremely helpful and told me that everything was in order, apart from the fact I would need to be off self employed for a minimum of three months which would come around in December.

However, his check with migraciones (immigrations) showed that they had no records of me leaving the country between 2014 and 2017, but they did have records of me entering the country. Furthermore, immigration had no record of me returning to Argentina in January 2020 following a brief trip to Uruguay (I rode to Punta and took the ferry back from Colonia). As far as they were concerned I was still in Punta del Este, in spite of having travelled to the UK last year.

He said it was clearly an immigration error and gave me an official report, stamped and signed which I will now have to clear up at Migraciones in Retiro, pay $10.000 for each of their errors and return to ANSES once it's cleared up.

The fun continues...

I have an appointment for Monday at immigration Puerto Madero to clear up their mistake for which I will have to pay. How bizarre is that?

Still, it's a small price for what I will hopefully get.

I left home at 10 am and due to closed roads didn't make it to Immigration on Antartida until 11.15, loads of good parking, joined a queue of dozens, met an English professor who had just escaped from Venezuela and after only 15 minutes was directed to Building 6.

The next part took about an hour and the lad was clearly new at the job, but the exit from the country in June 2017 was fixed, but re-entry to Argentina in Jan 2020 couldn't be fixed. Luckily I took copies of the ferry ticket (I initially rode around vis Fray Bentos but took the ferry back from Colonia with my wife) and also Used Google Timeline. She was registered as leaving Uruguay and entering Argentina but not me.

They now have to contact their counterparts in Uruguay to confirm but that could take weeks and I'll probably have to go back.

The system is efficient though, I will say that. Also, I didn't have to pay anything...yet.

Redirected into this thread.

Quote from serafina

On the other side, you could have avoided paying taxes from 2020 to today, then?

Technically, yes.