General information on pensions, social security and social security all over the world is available on the website of the Italian Ministry of Social Affairs and International Cooperation.
The Consular Office remains available to sign declarations of existence. For this purpose, please book an appointment via the portal Prenotot@mi
The service is free.
STATEMENT OF LIVING – INSTRUCTIONS
Every year Citibank N.A. takes care of sending an explanatory letter and the standard attestation form to retirees living abroad. It is advisable to read the entire communication carefully. A retiree who does not receive the form or loses it should contact the Bank’s service department, which will also send a new personalized form by e-mail (portale@citi.com).
In the ordinary way, pensioners should have the proof of life form, correctly filled in, dated, signed, and accompanied by supporting documentation, sent to PO Box 4873, Worthing BN99 3BG, United Kingdom, by the deadline specified in the explanatory letter. In cases where the retiree is physically or mentally infirm, or are retirees residing in public or private retirement or health care institutions, or are retirees suffering from illnesses that prevent them from moving, or are incapacitated or incarcerated in detention institutions, it is necessary to contact Citi’s Support Service, which will make available the alternative certification of living existence form, (portale@citi.com).
For those who request it in the prescribed manner, consular offices will be able to use a video call service, which is a supplementary and not a substitute mode, to complete the process of verification of the pensioners’ existence in life according to the following procedure:
– the pensioner who receives by regular mail from Citibank N.A. the standard form of request for attestation of existence in life, containing, among other things, his or her personal details, the INPS codes identifying the pension, the INPS number and the Citibank code assigned to the pensioner, will have to complete this form by adding, in addition to his or her own handwritten signature and the date of signature, also his or her telephone number and, if he or she has it, his or her e-mail address;
– following the forwarding, by the retiree, of a digital copy of the aforementioned form to the local Consular Authority (consolare.mumbai@esteri.it), that office contacts the retiree concerned using the email address, if present on the form, through a video call service, using the applications most widely used today
– the consular office, through the modalities described above, ascertains by direct vision the existence in life of the pensioner and performs the verification of the identity of the person concerned by the ascertainment, verifying the data noted in a valid personal identity document that the pensioner will be required to show, in original, during the video call;
having ascertained, in the manner described above, the status of the pensioner’s existence in life, the consular office official will be able to validate the request form for proof of existence in life and return the original to the retiree who will independently forward the form to Citibank N.A., at PO Box 4873, Worthing BN99 3BG, United Kingdom.
RED EST
The Red Est form is also part of the documents that pensioners are periodically required to submit. The RED EST is the Declaration relating to the income situation (RED) of Italian pensioners living abroad (with indication of that of their household). With it, INPS collects information referring to income produced abroad.
The RED EST must also be signed in the presence and where the retiree is in a state of physical or mental infirmity, or unable to make movements to reach the Office, he/she may sign during a video call in the manner indicated above.
It is emphasized that the RED EST is an important document that if not complimented and returned by the due dates may result in the suspension and subsequent forfeiture of the pension received.
SURVIVOR’S PENSION
The survivor’s pension is payable to the family members of the deceased worker and takes the name of survivor’s pension, if the deceased worker was a holder of direct pension and indirect pension, if the deceased worker was not a holder of direct pension, but at the time of death, he or she possessed the insurance and contribution requirements for obtaining ordinary disability allowance or disability pension.
Family members eligible for the pension are:
– the spouse and children who at the date of the worker’s death are minors, students or disabled;
– parents who on the date of the worker’s death are 65 years of age or older, do not have a pension and are dependents of the deceased;
– in the absence of such beneficiaries, unmarried brothers and sisters who on the date of the worker’s death are incapacitated, do not hold a direct or indirect pension and are dependents of the decedent.
In order to formulate the survivor’s claim, it is necessary to submit the following documentation to this Office, which acts exclusively as a liaison with INPS:
– Application form
– Certificate of death of spouse
– Marriage Certificate
– Family composition as of the date of death
– Other personal income of the widower since the year of death of the Dante Causa
– Certificate bank details
– Tax code of the deceased spouse
– Tax identification number of the widower
Documents produced in India should be legalized, provided with apostille and Italian translation If the bank certificate pertains to an Indian account, the bank document should be legalized and provided with apostille and Italian translation.
It is emphasized that for more information the patronages in Italy remain however always available, the powers of the Consulate General on the ‘subject are in fact limited.