Are retirees poor, or badly off? It is clear, in any case, that the standard of living generally declines after retirement. A majority of French men and women who have liquidated their pension rights see a potentially significant drop in their income. This is the case for six out of ten retirees, recently explained the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (Insee), as reported by Ouest-France in 2020. On average, the loss of income is estimated at 7.9 %. That being said, some turn out to be luckier. This is the case for all those whose income increases by around 10%. All in all, estimated the organization in 2020, this represents 32% of retirees, whose last remuneration was quite low and whose expenses then fell with the cessation of activity.
However, it is important to remember that there may also be very specific cases… which may, in some cases, push the pension fund responsible for paying the retirement pension to demand reimbursement. The news is then rarely pleasant, since it sometimes happens that the sum requested is in the hundreds, if not thousands of euros, indicates Notre Temps on its site. Explanations.
The pension fund is entitled to demand a refund when there has been an overpayment, explain our colleagues. This means that it must itself have paid one or more sums greater than they should have been in theory. Our colleagues also identify three scenarios in their own right.
The overpayment can result from an error in the calculation of the retirement pension… Which generally means that the sum to be reimbursed will be expensive. The receipt of a survivor’s pension or the existence of another form of means-tested income may also, in certain situations, lead the pension fund to request the reimbursement of an overpayment. Finally, there is the very special case of fraud.
When the pension fund demands the reimbursement of an overpayment, two distinct situations must be considered. The first is the most obvious: when possible (and legitimate), it is smart to pay the requested money. That being said, it is also possible to contest the refund requested. Affected pensioners have certain remedies.
For this, indicates Notre Temps, it is necessary to seize the Amicable Appeal Commission (CRA) before two months. It is then necessary to request, depending on the situation, a remission of debt or the staggering of payments. It is also possible to ask your regional Carsat for more details, if the decision made by the fund seems difficult to understand. Finally, it is also possible to go to court.
Have you received a request for reimbursement of an overpayment from your pension fund? Even more worrying: this one may have put you on notice after a first request to which you never responded? In either case, it is essential to ensure that the organization has not made any mistakes.
Indeed, it is not always necessary to pay. The recovery of the overpayment is not done in the event that the resources of the insured person concerned are too low to allow reimbursement (he or she receives 11,001.44 euros or less per year for a single person in 2022 and 17,079.77 euros for a couple). Similarly, any insured able to prove his good faith is exempt from reimbursement.
