Zimpapers Logo

Pensioners that are receiving a pension from the National Social Security Authority need to complete and submit a life certificate to the authority before the end of the year, together with a photocopy of their national identity card.
If they do not, then their pension is likely to be suspended, since NSSA has no way of determining whether they are still alive or not.
Most, if not all, pension funds require pensioners, particularly retired pensioners, to periodically complete and return a certificate confirming that they are still alive.

Some put it more delicately, asking the pensioner to confirm he or she is still entitled to the pension and requiring a professional person or some other non-relative to confirm the pensioner’s signature is authentic.

The intention is the same, to confirm that the pensioner is still alive, since the only thing that would render a retired pensioner no longer eligible for the pension would be death, since pensions are normally paid for life.

NSSA’s life certificate can be obtained from post offices or POSB branches or any NSSA office.
Since many pensioners draw their pension from the post office or POSB, it should be easy for them to get copies of the certificate when they go to withdraw their pension.

Many pensioners may already have completed and returned the certificate, since NSSA started distributing the certificate, through post offices and the POSB, as well as its own offices, in October.

NSSA sensitising pensioners on the importance of collecting, completing and submitting the life certificates at their nearest NSSA office by December 31 this year.

The pensioner should hand the certificate in personally, so that NSSA officials can verify that the national identity card submitted is that of the pensioner and that the pensioner is indeed alive.

The need for pension funds to verify that pensioners are still alive is obvious. A pension is paid every month for the rest of the pensioner’s life.

If the pension fund does not take steps to check on whether the pensioner is still alive, it could continue paying the person’s pension every month long after the pensioner has died.

Many pension funds rely on posting such certificates to pensioners. If the certificate is not returned, then the presumption is that the pensioner has died.

In Zimbabwe this would not be a reliable way of communicating with pensioners, partly because pensioners often change their address without notifying NSSA of the change.

The method chosen, therefore, was to provide life certificates at POSB offices and post offices, since these are the places where the majority of pensioners collect their pensions from, and encourage pensioners, through advertisements, to collect and complete the certificates and bring them back to NSSA.

The reason that the pensioner needs to hand in the life certificate with the photocopy of the national identity card is also obvious.
The best way to verify that the pensioner is indeed still alive is to see him or her for oneself and compare the picture on the identity card with the person submitting it.

If a pensioner should be bedridden or unable to travel to a NSSA office because of some physical infirmity, then guidance should be sought from the nearest NSSA office on what to do to satisfy NSSA’s requirements.

Of course, requiring pensioners to complete and return a life certificate does not prevent some payments continuing to be made to a pensioner after the pensioner has died. After all, a pensioner might have been dead for some time before the request to complete a life certificate was made.

In any event, the pensioner is given several months to complete and return it. During that period the pension continues to be paid.
When the certificate is not returned by the stipulated deadline, the pension is suspended in the belief that the pensioner might no longer be alive.

The pensioner might have been dead for quite a long time. Then again the pensioner might die soon after submitting the life certificate.
However, requiring pensioners to complete and return a life certificate does minimise the period during which a pension may continue being paid into the account of someone who has died.

There will, of course, always be conscientious spouses or other family members who will inform NSSA when a pensioner dies, so that NSSA can stop the pension.

Executors of wills should also inform NSSA of a pensioner’s death so that the pension can be stopped.
Those who wish to obtain a funeral grant on the death of a pensioner or to claim a survivor’s benefit will obviously bring the death to the authority’s attention as they claim these benefits.

However, NSSA’s pension scheme, like all other pension schemes, may still be paying pensions into the accounts of some pensioners who it is un- aware have died.

This is unavoidable. Hence the need to insist on life certificates being completed and returned before the end of December.
Those pensioners who have not collected a life certificate from a POSB office or post office or NSSA office would be well advised to do so as soon as possible and to return it duly completed together with a photocopy of their national identity card. If they do not, they are likely to find their pension suspended next year.

Talking Social Security is published weekly by the National Social Security Authority as a public service. There is also a weekly radio programme, PaMhepo neNSSA/Emoyeni leNSSA, discussing social security issues at 6.50pm every Thursday on Radio Zimbabwe and every Friday on National FM. Readers can e-mail issues they would like dealt with in this column to [email protected] or text them to 0772-307913. Those with individual queries should contact their local NSSA office or telephone NSSA on (04) 706517-8 or 706523-5.