In the United Arab Emirates, insurance and pensions are a fundamental pillar of social security, ensuring individuals a decent and secure life after retirement age or in the event of disability or death. However, some disputes and legal procedures may arise regarding insurance and pension issues, which requires understanding the details of these issues and identifying ways to resolve them in accordance with the regulations and laws in force in the UAE.
Objectives of the Social Insurance System
- Income security in cases of retirement, disability and death: This objective is one of the most important priorities of the social insurance system in the Emirates. By providing retirement, disability and death pensions, this system ensures the continuity of income for insured persons and their families in various life circumstances. This contributes to achieving financial stability and psychological reassurance for citizens.
- Providing health care for insured persons and their families: The role of the social insurance system is not limited to the financial aspect only, but extends to include comprehensive health care for insured persons and their family members. It provides the necessary health coverage to receive medical treatment, medications and periodic checkups. This has a significant impact on enhancing the general health of the community and improving the quality of life.
- Providing social assistance to the most needy groups: In addition to the previous objectives, the social insurance system in the UAE plays a pivotal role in supporting the most vulnerable and needy groups in society. By providing grants and subsidies to widows, orphans, people with disabilities and others, this system contributes to achieving social justice and alleviating the burdens on these groups.
Insurance Coverage
- Categories Covered: The UAE social insurance system includes three main categories: UAE citizens, private sector workers, and government sector employees. This ensures comprehensive insurance protection for all segments of society.
- Insurance Contributions: This system is financed through insurance contributions contributed by both the employee and the employer. A portion of the employee’s salary is allocated to these contributions, while the employer contributes a specific percentage commensurate with the nature of the employee’s work and sector of work.
Insurance and Benefits:
- Retirement, Disability and Death Pension: The UAE social insurance system provides monthly pensions to insured persons in cases of retirement, disability or death. These pensions are the cornerstone of achieving financial stability for citizens and their families.
- Grants and subsidies: In addition to pensions, this system provides a range of grants and social subsidies to the most needy groups, such as marriage grants, widows and orphans’ assistance, and family support allowances. These subsidies contribute significantly to enhancing social welfare.
- Healthcare: The social insurance system in the UAE provides comprehensive healthcare coverage, including medical treatment, medication, and periodic check-ups. This ensures that insured persons and their families receive distinguished medical services at the lowest costs.
The most important legal issues and procedures in the UAE within the scope of the Insurance and Pensions Law
- Dispute cases between the insured and the insured:
- Non-payment of dues:
- The insured may face difficulty in obtaining his insurance dues, such as a retirement pension, sickness benefit or work injury, due to disputes with the employer or the Social Insurance Institution.
- In these cases, the insured may resort to filing a lawsuit to claim his rights.
- Dismissal of pension applications:
- The Social Insurance Institution may reject the applications of some insured persons to obtain retirement pensions or disability or death benefits.
- In these cases, the insured may appeal the rejection decision before a specialized committee, or file a lawsuit if the appeal is not accepted.
- Determining the length of service:
- Disputes may arise regarding the length of service of the insured, especially in the event of unregistered work periods or their data being changed.
- In these cases, the insured may resort to providing evidence proving his length of service, such as work certificates or social insurance records.
- Dispute cases between the employer and the insured:
- Non-payment of insurance contributions:
- The employer may refrain from paying the insurance contributions of his employees, which exposes them to the risk of losing their insurance rights.
- In these cases, the insured may report the employer to the Social Insurance Institution, or file a lawsuit to claim his rights.
- Unjustified dismissal of the employee:
- The employer may dismiss his employee unjustly, which deprives him of obtaining some of his insurance benefits, such as the end-of-service allowance.
- In these cases, the dismissed employee can file a lawsuit against the employer to claim his rights.
- Work injury:
- The employee may be injured during his work, which qualifies him to receive compensation for his injury.
- In some cases, the employee may face difficulty in obtaining appropriate compensation or his request may be dismissed.
- In these cases, the employee may file a lawsuit to claim his rights.
- Dispute cases between the Social Insurance Institution and government agencies:
- Determining eligibility for pensions:
- Disputes may arise regarding the eligibility of some people to receive retirement pensions or disability or death benefits, especially in the event of exceptional cases or unclear conditions.
- In these cases, the Social Insurance Institution may resort to filing a lawsuit against the relevant government agencies to determine eligibility for pensions.
- Recovering insurance contributions:
- The Social Insurance Institution may demand that government agencies pay the insurance contributions of their employees, especially in the event of delay or refusal to pay.
- In these cases, the Social Insurance Institution may resort to filing a lawsuit against the relevant government agencies to recover the contributions due.
Finally, insurance and pension cases in the UAE are a very important issue, as they directly affect the lives and future of individuals Therefore, the UAE has been keen to establish laws and regulations that regulate these issues and protect the rights of all concerned parties, including the insured parties, employers and government institutions Do not hesitate to contact our office as we have a team of lawyers who are among the most famous lawyers in the UAE, a team with more than 25 years of experience in achieving success in insurance cases with a rate exceeding 95%.