Stefanus Nashama
The Government Institutions Pension Fund (GIPF) has indicated that outdated personal files of members and beneficiaries are causing delays in distributing pension benefits.
This insight was shared by Amos Kambonde, GIPF’s Manager of Marketing Service.
“It’s imperative for members to ensure their files are current. By doing so, when a benefit is due, the fund can disburse the pension benefits promptly,” Kambonde emphasized.
Kambonde highlighted the challenges faced by the fund in timely benefit payouts to members and their beneficiaries.
Among these challenges is the payment of death benefits. Many of these delays arise due to the absence of, or outdated, beneficiary nomination forms and issues concerning complete birth certificates – the latter being a particularly significant concern.
“In essence, these payment delays can be linked to incomplete, inaccurate, or missing information required to process benefit payments,” Kambonde reiterated.
Another difficulty is tracing the dependents of a deceased member, especially if the member passes away before reaching retirement age.
To assist with this, the fund introduced beneficiary nomination forms, allowing members to list their dependents with all necessary details. These forms, according to Kambonde, simplify the tracing process.
However, challenges persist. Kambonde noted that some members either neglect to fill out these forms or if they do, provide information that’s insufficient, inaccurate, or outdated.
For instance, children born after a member has completed a nomination form might not be added, while those who have passed away are not removed or vice versa.
The fund has urged members to visit their employers’ Human Resources Departments to update their details and ensure all documents in their personal files are current.
These documents should include accurate full birth certificates of biological children. Additionally, if a member is married, a certified copy of the marriage certificate should be submitted.
To streamline the process further, members are encouraged to complete and submit the beneficiary nomination form to their HR departments.
This measure, Kambonde asserts, ensures that the fund can swiftly trace dependents and distribute benefits when due.
