Starting from 20 September 2023, Citibank NA is sending requests for certification of existence to pensioners resident in Europe, Africa and Oceania - with the exception of Scandinavian countries and Eastern European countries already affected by the first phase - to be returned to the Bank by 18 January 2024.
If the certificate is not produced, the payment of the February 2024 instalment, where possible, will be made in cash at the Western Union agencies in the country of residence and, in the event of failure to personally collect or produce the certificate of existence by 19 February 2024, pension payments will be suspended starting from the March 2024 instalment.
In order to reduce the risk of benefit payments after the death of the beneficiary, some pensioners may be affected by the generalized existence verification, regardless of their geographical area of residence or domicile.
To rationalize the carrying out of the verification activity with a view to administrative simplification, some groups of pensioners are excluded from the verification such as, for example, those who reside in countries in which institutions operate with which the INPS has stipulated collaboration for the electronic exchange of information on the death of common pensioners.
Pensioners can provide proof of existence in the following ways:
- by sending the proof of existence form to PO Box 4873, Worthing BN99 3BG, United Kingdom. This form must be returned to Citibank NA countersigned by an "acceptable witness" i.e. by a representative of an Italian Embassy or Consulate or by a local authority authorized to endorse the signing of the certificate;
- through Patronato operators having the qualification of "acceptable witnesses", authorized to access the portal set up by Citibank NA in order to electronically certify the existence of pensioners. The same electronic attestation functionality is also available to the officials of the diplomatic missions indicated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. In this regard, we would like to remind you that, in order to facilitate pensioners, the Institute and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation have shared a project which also provides the possibility of communicating with officials of diplomatic representations via a video call service;
- by personally collecting the pension at the Western Union counters.
Please note that the Bank's support service is active for pensioners, officials of diplomatic missions, patronages, delegates and attorneys who need assistance regarding the procedure for certifying their existence.
Citi support service can be contacted by pensioners in the following ways:
- by consulting the web page www.inps.citi.com;
- by sending an email to inps.pensionati@citi.com;
- by calling one of the numbers indicated in the explanatory letter.
The service is active from Monday to Friday, from 8:00 to 20:00 (Italian time), in Italian, English, Spanish, French, German and Portuguese.
Information regarding the start of the generalized assessment and the methods to be followed to complete the process, also with regard to the location of the payment at the Western Union branches, is available on the Bank's website (www.inps.citi.com ).
More information is contained in INPS message no. 3183 of 12 September 2023 (https://www.inps.it/it/it/inps-comunica/atti/circolari-messaggi-e-normativa/dettaglio.circolari-e-messaggi.2023.09.messaggio-numero-3183-del-12-09-2023_14264.html).