Facts
A., born in 1957, applied for disability insurance benefits in February 2008. The IV office of the canton of Zurich denied his right to a pension by decision of 11 February 2013 (degree of disability 25%). The cantonal social insurance court upheld the appeal against this decision and referred the case back to the IV office for further investigation and a new decision. On 13 January 2016, A. requested free legal assistance for the administrative proceedings, which was granted by the cantonal court on 20 July 2016. On 8 March 2017, the IV office awarded A. a full disability pension from 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2015 and a three-quarter pension from 1 April to 31 August 2015, with a retroactive payment of CHF 59,057.90. On 5 April 2017, the IV office retroactively withdrew the free legal assistance on the grounds that the insured person was no longer in need due to the retroactive payment of the pension.Considerations
The Federal Tribunal ruled that the retroactive withdrawal of free legal assistance lacked a legal basis. Although the previously indigent party has returned to better fortune, one cannot demand from them the subsequent payment of the costs of free legal assistance for the administrative proceedings, nor can this assistance be…