Harbin authorities demand return of pensions paid out to deceased

Authorities in the northeastern Chinese city of Harbin have ordered the families of more than 1,000 deceased people to repay pension benefits that were wrongly claimed after the recipients' deaths.

In a public notice issued on Friday, the Social Insurance Service Center of Daowai district in Harbin, Heilongjiang province said that 1,014 individuals continued to receive urban and rural resident pension payments despite having died.

According to the center, earlier attempts to recover the funds — including sending repayment notices — failed because families could not be contacted or did not cooperate. As a result, the authorities have now delivered a formal repayment order through a public announcement, a method permitted under Chinese law when direct service is not possible.

Under the order, families are required to return the overpaid pension amounts within 30 days of the notice's publication. The deadline is calculated from the date the announcement is deemed legally served.

The notice states that relatives must deposit the full amount into a designated bank account and complete repayment procedures at their local social insurance office. Required documents include proof of death.

The order cites China's Social Insurance Law and related administrative regulations. It warns that families who fail to comply — and who do not seek administrative review or file a legal challenge within the statutory period — may face court-ordered compulsory enforcement.