Retirees Ask for Law to End Early Retirement Penalty
Listen to the story
Many retirees in Spain want a new law.
They have worked and paid money into the system for 40 years. This is called contributions.
If they retire early now, they get less money every month. This is a penalty. It lasts for their whole life.
The retirees want a Decree Law to stop this penalty. A Decree Law is a fast law from the government.
A group called the Diputación Permanente can approve this law. It works in Parliament when Parliament is not in normal session.
Workers from Social Security agree with the retirees. Social Security is the government office that pays pensions.
These workers say time is short. If there is an election soon, the law process can stop.
Then everything starts again from zero. Thousands of retirees want the penalty to end now.
Vocabulary15 words
- retiree
- a person who has stopped working, usually because of age
- contributions
- money that workers pay into a system over time
- penalty
- something bad that happens as a punishment
- Decree Law
- a law made quickly by the government
- Diputación Permanente
- a small group that works for Parliament when it is closed
- Social Security
- the government office that pays pensions and helps workers
- election
- a day when people vote to choose leaders
- pension
- money paid to a person after they stop working
- approve
- to officially say yes to something
- early retirement
- stopping work before the normal age
- Parliament
- the group of people who make laws for a country
- session
- a period when a group meets to work
- lifelong
- lasting for all of a person's life
- thousands
- a very large number, like 1,000 or more
- worker
- a person who has a job
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Quiz
Answer key
1. A new Decree Law 2. 40 years 3. An election
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Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Many _____ in Spain want a new law.
They have worked and paid money into the system for 40 years. This is called _____.
If they retire early now, they get less money every month. This is a _____. It lasts for their whole life.
The retirees want a _____ to stop this penalty.
A group called the _____ can approve this law.
Workers from _____ agree with the retirees.
If there is an _____ soon, the law process can stop.
Thousands of _____ want the penalty to end now.
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