For 21 years, he collected rubbish for a living. At 71, he discovered ₹61 lakh waiting for him

A 71-year-old Chinese man who spent 21 years surviving by scavenging has discovered that his pension account held 424,204 yuan (around ₹61.23 lakh), after social workers helped trace his records, South China Morning Post reported.

The man, surnamed Ru, received a bank card linked to his pension account in late September. The account showed a balance of 424,204 yuan (around ₹61.23 lakh).

Ru broke down in tears while speaking to the media.

“It goes without saying that I am happy. I never expected this to happen. I am grateful for the support from the social assistance authority and other related government departments,” he said.

How Ru ended up scavenging

Ru had worked for 30 years at a state-owned shop in Zhuzhou, Hunan province, after graduating from a technical school. He was laid off in the early 2000s and received an undisclosed amount of compensation.

He quickly spent the money because he “loved enjoying life”. After the money ran out, he fell into debt and had conflicts with relatives. He eventually began collecting rubbish to earn a living and later moved to Changde, where he has lived ever since.

In the winter of 2024, Wu Jinhui and his colleagues at a social assistance station in Changde found Ru living in an abandoned building.

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Ru initially refused to move to a relief shelter because of his strong sense of self-esteem. Officials continued providing him with essential daily necessities and assured him of support before he eventually agreed to relocate to the shelter.

Why Ru did not know about his pension

Officials found that Ru had reached the pension age in 2015 and was eligible to receive payments.

His pension is about 3,700 yuan (around ₹53,400) a month, accumulating to more than 420,000 yuan (around ₹60.65 lakh) over the past 10 years.

Ru said that after being dismissed from the state-owned shop, he assumed he needed to pay for endowment insurance for many years before qualifying for a pension. Because of his financial situation, he did not pay for the insurance.

However, Wu found that Ru had worked at the state-owned shop for 30 years and that his employer had deducted portions of his salary for premium payments.

Without a mobile phone, Ru had remained disconnected from social developments and was unaware of the country's retirement regulations. He has remained single throughout his life.

Under Chinese law, individuals who have paid premiums into the social insurance system for at least 15 years are entitled to receive a pension upon reaching retirement age. The retirement age for Chinese men, which stood at 60 in 2015, is now being gradually raised to 63.

While handing the bank card to Ru, Wu advised him to keep it safe, spend the money wisely and stay vigilant against telecommunication fraud.

Ru said his immediate priority is to rent a flat in Changde. He also plans to visit his hometown of Zhuzhou in the future.