admintime has elapsed since they lodged their claim.
Under normal circumstances, short-term benefit claims are processed and paid within five working days. Pension claims take six weeks to process, meaning that the claimant should start receiving his/her pension six weeks after the claim has been lodged with NSSA.
For that to happen the P9/P10 claim form needs to have been correctly filled in and the required supporting documents must be submitted with the claim. In addition, the claimant must have opened a bank account into which the benefit can be paid and must also have advised NSSA of the bank account details.
Secondly, claims are currently taking longer to process than would normally be the case because a backlog of claims has built up due to various administrative and technical challenges, chief among which is the computer system that NSSA is using, which is old and needs to be replaced.
Nevertheless, despite these challenges, processing claims should not take as long as some of the clients seem to claim. In some cases delays are due to deficiencies in their claim or some documentation missing may be holding up the process.
Another reason could be that the claimant either has not opened a bank account into which the pension can be paid or has opened a bank account but neglected to inform NSSA of the bank account details or has supplied unclear or incorrect bank account details.
While ideally NSSA would wish to start paying pensioners the month after they lodge their claim, the backlog referred to has meant that currently it takes about two months before a successful claim is paid.
Those claiming pensions should contact the office that they lodged their claim at in the first instance, if they consider payment of their claim is taking inordinately long.
If more than two months has passed without their claim having been met, they can contact the office of the Director of Benefits at NSSA’s Head Office in Harare. They can visit there in person or telephone (04) 706523-5 or 706517-8 and ask for the Director of Benefits’ office.
NSSA issues a receipt when one submits a claim. It is important to retain that receipt and keep it safe, so that one has proof that the claim was submitted in case follow-up is required.
If you send someone else with your claim form, make sure the person comes back to you and gives you the receipt as proof that the claim was lodged.
There have been instances of people complaining that months have gone by since they lodged their claim or sent somebody to lodge it on their behalf and that the NSSA office is unable to trace their papers. The receipt helps both the client and NSSA to know the precise date on which their claim was submitted.
Short-term benefits, are the retirement grant, survivor’s grant and invalidity grant. If the required documents are in order, the claim is processed within five days of receipt. Funeral grant claims can be processed while the claimant waits, provided he/she has all the required documentation.
It is helpful, when assessing how long it should take to process one’s claim, to know whether it is a short-term or a long-term benefit. Long-term benefits include retirement, invalidity and survivor’s pensions. It is important too to be sure one is eligible for the benefit.
To be eligible for a retirement pension one must be over 60 years of age and be retired or be aged 65 or older, whether retired or not, and have contributed to the Pension and Other Benefits Scheme for a minimum of 120 months.
If one has reached retirement age and has contributed for less than 120 months but more than 12 months he/she is entitled to a retirement grant, which is a short term benefit.
Farm labourers and those employed in certain job categories considered as arduous employment, are eligible to claim their retirement pension or grant at the age of 55, provided they have been working in the arduous job for at least seven of the last 10 years before they turn 55. The same rule about contributing for at least 120 months to be eligible for a pension, applies to those who retire at this age.
Whether a person claiming a survivor’s benefit is eligible for a pension or a lump sum depends on the contribution status of the deceased contributor.
For an invalidity pension, one must be below the age of 60 years, have contributed for at least 12 months and be permanently incapable of working due to a physical or mental disability or illness. An invalidity grant is payable if the person permanently unable to work has contributed for less than 12 months but more than six months.
Processing invalidity benefit claims may take slightly longer than other claims because of the need to verify that the claimant is permanently incapable of earning a living. This requires the claimant to undergo physical examination by a NSSA doctor and sometimes appearance before a NSSA medical board.
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 6.50pm 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 073 5 041 278. Those with individual queries should contact their local NSSA office or telephone NSSA on (04) 706517-8 or 706523-5.
Online Reporter