Ms. Maria left Romania after she retired to live with her daughter’s family abroad. She noticed that she does not receive her pension on time, that is, every month, but with delays of 3-4 months.

Maria says she got her money after “countless emails and phone calls that sometimes go unanswered.”

According to her, the certificate that she was alive was sent by mail to the Bucharest Retirement Home in February, with a deadline of March 31. Thus, he discovered that he did not receive a pension either in February or March.

Pensioners who are outside the country must present a proof of life, on the basis of which they can receive a pension.

What is the problem in such cases

HotNews.ro sent an inquiry to the National Public Pension Fund (CNPP) regarding the delays blamed by some pensioners living outside the country.

According to the institution, the problem seems to be that there are specific situations where non-resident beneficiaries do not submit a certificate of life, and therefore the territorial pension houses suspend the rights until the document is presented, after which the payment of the pension is resumed with the provision of the remaining rights.

Thus, if the pensioner does not provide or transfer the certificate of life within the specified period, the relevant territorial retirement home will suspend the rights due to the owner, starting from February of the year following the year in which the certificate of life was sent by the territorial authority. boarding house.

However, if a non-resident beneficiary submits a certificate of life after the expiration of the period during which he had the obligation to notify it, the due rights in the state pension system will be restored in payment from the date of suspension, observing the general limitation period.

According to the new law on pensions (Law No. 360/2023), the payment of the pension is suspended from the month following the month in which the recipient has not provided or has not provided the relevant territorial pension house with a certificate of life. within the terms stipulated by law, in accordance with March 31 and September 30 of each year.

Where to find a certificate of life

The CNPP states that non-resident pensioners do not have to appear at the territorial pension houses in Romania to confirm that they are alive, because in the case of non-resident pensioners who receive their pension in bank accounts abroad or in Romania and do not have representatives appointed by a special power of attorney that informs the pension institutions in Romania of any changes in the pensioner’s situation (eg death, change of address, etc.), a life certificate is used.

Thus, in order to avoid wrongful payments to beneficiaries from abroad who have died, since 2009 territorial pension houses have been using the life certificate as an administrative verification tool, just like other pension institutions of the Member States of the European Union.

“According to the procedures in place, the competent Territorial Pension House sends a copy of the life certificate to the non-resident beneficiary in October of each year to his address abroad or to the e-mail address confirmed by the beneficiary concerned. completed in A indicating the deadline for the transfer of the life certificate by the beneficiary, which is December 31 of each year,” CNPP said.

The beneficiary registered abroad is obliged to fill in part B of the certificate of life in the legal body in the territory of the country of permanent residence (social insurance institutions, local administrative bodies, consulates, notaries, etc.), in order to certify its presence.

At the request of the pensioner concerned, the requested legal authority certifies that part B of the life certificate has been personally signed by the rights holder, completing, in this sense, part C of the certificate.

“If they do not receive the certificate of life by December, non-resident beneficiaries have the opportunity to download it from the website of our institution, namely www.cnpp.ro, international relations department, to fill it and send it to the territory of residence. the pension administration, which records the pension case,” the institution says.

How to submit a life certificate to non-resident pensioners

The transfer of the certificate of life can be made by mail, to the territorial pension house in which the pension case is registered, by fax to the official fax number of the territorial pension house or by e-mail in a scanned form. , to the e-mail address of the official of the territorial Pension House, posted by the specified institution on its website.

“Therefore, in order to reduce the risk of making improper payments to the beneficiaries of the state pension system established abroad, within the framework of Law no. 360/2023 on the state pension system (entered into force on September 1, 2024), it was provided for the transfer every six months until March 31, corresponding to September 30 of each year, a certificate of life, the model of which will be approved by order of the president of the CNPP, as before. – reports the National Pension Fund.

It will be sent at the initiative of beneficiaries based abroad by any means of communication.

We hope that by implementing these changes, we will reduce the risks of improper payments to pensioners who have settled abroad and strengthen the connection with our beneficiaries, despite the disadvantages caused by remote communication.

Through which bank are pensions transferred to those who are abroad

According to the CNPP, the beneficiaries of the state pension system established abroad have the opportunity to receive a pension or other monetary rights, which are established and paid by territorial pension houses in the territory of the country of residence.

CNPP ensures their payment through Citibank Romania, now Citibank Europe plc., Dublin – Romania Branch, in accordance with the Convention on the provision of banking services related to the payment of pensions and other social security rights abroad concluded between the two institutions.

“We clarify that at no time were there any delays in the transfer of pension rights due in the Romanian public pension system to the bank accounts of non-resident beneficiaries abroad, in accordance with the conditions stipulated in the banking agreement concluded between CNPP and Citibank Europe. Respected Plc, Dublin – Romanian branch,” the institution says.

Pensions have increased since the beginning of 2024

Pensions and social benefits for retirees will increase from January 1, 2024.

Thus, the minimum pension (or social allowance for pensioners) has increased from 1,125 lei to 1,281 lei.

The pension score increased by 13.8% from January 1, 2024 to 2,032 lei (from 1,785 lei).

From September 1, pensioners will receive a raise after the recalculation of pensions, in accordance with Law 360/2023.

The special pensions of judges and prosecutors were not updated with the average annual inflation rate in 2024.

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