Pensions
The UNJSPF website provides you with all of the information you need to effectively manage your pension benefit, whether you are a retiree, beneficiary or active member.
You can find the latest version of administrative forms, the Fund’s Rules and Regulations, informative booklets and summaries of provisions, the list of Board Members, the Fund’s annual letter and annual report, updates on the yearly CE Exercise, etc.
You can view your annual statement and complete benefit estimates on your own. You can see up to date cost-of-living and exchange rates. We encourage you to use the website as your first resource for your pension related questions.
The BAFUNCS Information Note 2 provides information on action to be taken in connection with the Pension Fund and health insurance schemes when a pensioner dies.
The first stage of the 2017 Certificate of Entitlement (CE) Exercise has been carried out. During the first days of June 2017 all CEs were despatched to retirees and beneficiaries worldwide to their official mailing addresses on file with the Fund, provided their benefit was in Certificate of Entitlement (CE).
Pension/Annual Statements were put into all Participants Member Self-Service Folders by the end of June 2017 – Please register (see the instructions below) or go to Member Self-Service to see and print your statement. If you do not see your Annual Pension Statement there, please contact the Fund and under How can we Assist you? Click on Pension Statement (Annual Statement). payment during the six months prior to 01 May 2017.
The UNJSPF Member Self-Service (MSS) portal was launched at the end of August 2016. This tool provides UNJSPF members access to their pension account information: retirees/beneficiaries will be able to see when their Certificate of Entitlement (CE) has been received by the Fund, see the historical record of the disbursements made by the Fund (with information about one-time cash payments and/or periodic payments made by beneficiaries), and download and print customized E-forms if they wish to update their pension fund account information.
A new Unique Identification Number (UID) has been generated for all individuals in the Fund’s database, including active participants, retirees and other beneficiaries, including dependants. The 9-digit UID will replace the two IDs previously in use (i.e. Pension Number and Retirement Number). Once this UID has been received, beneficiaries can register for the MSS and thereafter access their account by logging in using the user name and password created during registration.
(Beneficiaries and participants can request their UID from the Fund using this e-mail address: RequestUIDonly@unjspf.org. In order for the Fund to verify your identity, the following information needs to be included in the e-mail that you send:
BENEFICIARIES must send their full name, the name of their last employing organization, and five-digit alphanumeric Retiree number.
PARTICIPANTS must send a mail from their professional email address, include full name, and name of employer.)
Once you have received your UID, go to http://mss.unjspf.org/ and follow the instructions to register (several self-help videos are available).
Tax
The UK Inland Revenue website contains material of use to those intending to return to the UK and those filing tax returns. It contains copies of all forms needed to complete a tax return as well as explanatory texts to assist in completing for each part of a tax return and information for those intending to return to the UK.
The BAFUNCS Information note 5, Taxation in the United Kingdom (revised annually) provides guidance for members on subjects such as Income Tax, The United States-United Kingdom Double Taxation Agreement, National Insurance, Stamp Duty, Capital Gains Tax, Inheritance Tax, Council Tax, Vehicle Tax, Value Added Tax and Excise Duties.
Further to the information on US-UK Double Taxation Agreement on page 26 of the March 2017 Newsletter, Michael Davies has provided an update on the situation, which members can access here.
After Service Health Insurance
BAFUNCS is a member of the Federation of Former International Civil Servants (FAFICS) which, although it has no representative role in the different organizational health insurances which are available to retirees under the After-Service Health Insurance scheme, provides for exchanges of information and develops the Federation’s objectives in the FAFICS Council’s Standing Committee on After-Service Health Insurance and Long-Term Care (ASHIL). It also participates as an observer in inter-agency meetings of Human Resource Officers on Long-term Care benefits. The Federation’s aim is to have these benefits incorporated in all organizational health insurance plans.