Under Article 16.3, a refund of contributions will not prevent the payment of extraordinary pensions under Swiss laws if the claimant meets the conditions of Article 16.  This is an exception to the general rule precluding such payment in Article 17.4.  These needs-related pensions are payable due to old-age, disability or death.  Although Switzerland pays the extraordinary pensions even to people who may never have contributed to the Swiss system, the old-age, survivors' and disability insurance funds finance extraordinary pensions.  It would be inequitable to those Swiss contributors who had not received a refund of their contributions if U.S. nationals could qualify for extraordinary pensions after having their contributions refunded.  Article 16.3 provides, therefore, that U.S. nationals who receive Swiss extraordinary pensions after receiving a contribution refund will have the amount of their refunded contributions deducted from their pensions.