Civil servants’ pension fund ABP has reserved 100 million euros to pay out ‘overdue’ pensions. The extra money goes to dual earners who often received too low a pension for years.
That says ABP director Harmen van Wijnen in the television program Meldpunt of Omroep MAX. The sender raised the problem earlier.
These are dual earners who had accrued pension simultaneously with their partner before 1995. They could claim a supplement to their pension. This was provided automatically, but not if the partner accrued pension with a fund other than ABP.
In that case, the supplement had to be applied for separately, but not everyone knew that, says APB now.
10,000 euros
The supplement is on average 900 euros per year. Because the entitlement spans several years, in some cases it leads to benefits in excess of 10,000 euros per retiree.
Since broadcaster MAX raised the problem at the beginning of this year, 22,000 people have reported to ABP. More than half have already been assessed and it has been established that some six thousand people are indeed still receiving money. APB has already paid out 30 million euros.
‘Figures after the decimal point’
Victims can also still apply to the ABP. Van Wijnen calls the 100 million euros ‘serious money’. “But if you compare this with our total invested capital, then they are numbers after the decimal point.”
ABP thinks it will need another year to process all applications. Something that, according to MAX Ombudsman Rogier de Haan, is unacceptable. Van Wines apologizes for the waiting times.
The victims are also entitled to interest on their money. Anyone who has already received their pension supplement must request this interest separately from ABP. New applications are automatically paid the interest.
