pensions - AAFI-AFICS, Geneva - UNOG

Retirees living in France who receive a pension from the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund and arenot insured by a compulsory insurance scheme (sécurité sociale) should not or no longer have to paysocial contributions on their UN pension in 2002. If, in the autumn of 2002, they were nevertheless toreceive a taxation return requesting the payment of those taxes on their UN pension, they should submit aclaim to the tax office (address given on the form) requesting their exemption, and, if necessary, asking fora payment delay regarding the amount under dispute until a final decision is taken concerning theirrequest.Amounts paid in 2000 and 2001 on UN pensionsIf in 2000 and/or 2001 you have paid social contributions on your UN pension and you are not insured bythe French compulsory insurance system, you may consider that the Order of 2 May 2001 should beapplicable since February 2000, date of the judgement of the European Court of Justice. If you so decide,you could then request the reimbursement of the amounts you paid in 2000 and 2001 from the office whichestablished the relevant taxation form. In view of the prevailing uncertainty on the subject, you will thereforehave to decide whether or not to submit this claim.In any case, requests for the reimbursement of amounts paid in 2000 and 2001 on UN pensions received in1999 and 2000 must be submitted before 31 December 2002 and 31 December 2003 respectively (i.e. 31December of the second year following the year during which the claim was established).NB : The reference in J.-F. Santarelli’s article concerning the possibilities for the joint use of Social Security andILO/ITU SHIF benefits applies also to the health insurance schemes of the WHO and UN/HCR/WMO inaccordance with their own regulations and most likely also to all the health insurance schemes of the variousorganisations of the United Nations system. In case of doubt, it would be advisable to enquire with your owninsurance system before taking a decision on this matter.HEALTHATTENTION ALL FORMER UN EXPERTS, ECONOMIC COMMISSION PERSONNEL(EXCEPT ECE), UNDP, UNICEF, UNRWA AND PEACE-KEEPING CIVILIAN STAFFMEMBERS, WHO HAVE TAKEN OUT AFTER-SERVICE HEALTH INSURANCE WITHTHE UN’S VAN BREDA (OVERSEAS) INSURANCE PLANActive staff and pensioners of the United Nations are taking initiatives for the introduction of long-term carebenefits in the United Nations Van Breda (Overseas) health insurance plan. The UN Field Service Staff Union isplanning to raise this matter at a meeting of the organization’s Staff-Management Coordinating Committee to beheld in New York at the end of September 2002. On the pensioner side, the undersigned will be asking theGoverning Board of AFICS-New York to bring the same request up in UN Headquarters’ Health and Life InsuranceCommittee.A petition will be sent to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, asking for his support in having long-termcare benefits introduced in this insurance. It describes the type of dependency for which long-term care benefitsare being sought. Dependency means being unable to perform basic everyday tasks for oneself; it may occur atany age but it normally affects the elderly. The petition asks for long-term care benefits to cover assistance in thehome, as well as in a clinic or hospital. We are anxious for the petition to be signed by a maximum number ofinterested UN retirees.Members of AAFI-AFICS who are insured with this plan, or who have knowledge of other former colleagueswho are so insured, may request copies of the petition to the Secretary-General by writing, e-mailing ortelephoning to one of us (instructions regarding the forwarding of the petition will be given):31