Gomez Gamallo, 79, and his wife Fernandez Medarde, 81, leave a supermarket with a box full of food destined...
Angel Gomez Gamallo, 79, and his wife Luisa Fernandez Medarde, 81, leave a supermarket with a box full of food destined for one of their four children in Madrid April 29, 2014. When they retired a decade ago, Gomez and his wife had imagined spending their 3,600 euros in joint pension payments only on restaurants, holidays and toys for the grandkids. Today, their retirement money also helps support five families. The Spanish couple, like other relatively prosperous pensioners across southern Europe, are providing an informal safety net which has helped many in the younger generation to avoid widespread poverty despite record-high unemployment. Picture taken April 29, 2014. To match Insight story EUROPE-SOUTH/PENSIONS REUTERS/Susana Vera (SPAIN - Tags: BUSINESS EMPLOYMENT POLITICS SOCIETY)