GIPF members urged to claim benefits
Just over 300 members are still to claim their benefits from the Government Institutions Pension Fund, the GIPF said in a media release.“The GIPF offers various benefits to members, including for normal retirement, early retirement, resignation (also applicable to dismissal), retrenchment, disability, ill-health retirement, death and funeral benefits. These benefits become due at the time when a member exits the fund. If, however, a member leaves service and does not claim his/her benefits, it remain in the fund for as long as regulations allow,” Anna Hambuda, GIPF’s Manager: Operations said.
She added that to date, 309 members are still to claim their benefits from the Fund. “Such benefits, if not claimed for a period of five years or longer, will be paid over to the Guardian Fund held at the Master of the High Court, and such beneficiaries shall have no further claim against the GIPF.”
She said that ordinarily, the benefits claiming process starts at the respective Human Resources department, as all personnel files are with employers. “The completed benefit claim forms and other supporting documents are then submitted to the GIPF. It is critical to note that the Fund can only pay benefits once a claim has been completed, approved, signed off by GIPF participating employers and submitted to the Fund with all relevant supporting documents attached.
“However, what causes a delay in benefit payout is when the HR practitioners and the members fail to complete the relevant benefit claim forms at the time when members exit employment. This delays the whole claiming process which leads to members getting frustrated. Once members leave employment, it becomes a challenge to the Fund to trace them in the event of missing relevant information,” Hambuda said.
For a member to claim his/her benefits, they must contact their previous employer’s HR department, complete the claim form and submit the required supporting documents.
She added that it is critical to note that the GIPF does not have or appoint agencies or consultants to act on its behalf. “As such, the GIPF does not recommend the use of a consultant to claim benefits. Members are advised to approach the Fund directly for any fund related information. In the same vein, members are cautioned that when they are receiving service from GIPF, they are not allowed to pay any fees to anyone as they would when making use of consultants,” Hambuda concluded.