Chronicle EditorSamantha Chigogo Herald Correspondent
Over 40 000 pensioners failed to receive their April payouts last week after the National Social Security Authority (NSSA) suspended payments until they submit life certificates proving they are alive.
Hundreds of pensioners thronged NSSA offices on Friday demanding an explanation for the non-payment of their pensions.
This comes after the authority issued several warnings since October last year, urging pensioners to submit a NSSA Life Certificate together with a photocopy of their national identity card.
In an interview, NSSA acting general manager Mr Henry Chikova said submitting life certificates was a requirement for all pensioners to avoid suspension of pension payments.
“Every year we require our pensioners to submit life certificates and these are proof that the pension holder is still alive,” said Mr Chikova.
“We issue them these life certificates from the third quarter of every year, that is from October last year to March this year.
“We then invite them at the end of March to ensure they verify with us on the validity of their pensions.”
Mr Chikova said 40 000 pensioners had failed to receive their payments because they had not complied with requirements.
“For those who did not submit their life certificates by March, we have suspended their pensions.
“The suspensions are an exercise to make our pensioners comply with our directive to fill in and submit their life certificates,” he said.
“Of the 180 000 that we cater for, 40 000 of these people were affected by our exercise and we continuously call on all pensioners who have not visited our offices to come forward and fill in life certificate forms that will enable us to acknowledge their entitlement to the pensions fund.”
“Those who have not presented to NSSA a completed life certificate will be presumed dead or no longer entitled to a pension.
“We asked them to come and enquire with us so that we give them the papers to fill in to reactivate their pensions.”
He said all bona fide pensioners would be recalled next month.
“We have been putting advertisements in the Press — television and radio — inviting all pensioners to come forward and submit their life certificates to avoid such inconveniences,” Mr Chikova said.
“However, all those who were affected by these suspensions will get their money next month if they manage to submit their certificates.”
Mr Chikova rubbished reports that Government was struggling to pay pensioners.
“The money for pensioner’s payments is available. This exercise is a precautionary measure that we take yearly to ensure that our pensioners remain binding,” he said.
“We want to avoid a situation where we end up paying ghost pensioners.
“Their payments are there and once they do what is required of them, they will be reinstated in May.”
Mr Chikova urged the general public with relatives or friends on the pensioner scheme to sensitise them on the importance of submitting the NSSA life cer- tificates.
“So if you are a pensioner and have not submitted a life certificate to NSSA since last October, you need to do so now in order to ensure you are reinstated for the pension you failed to receive this month,” he said.
“If you are not a pensioner, but know somebody who does receive a pension from NSSA, do them a favour by asking them if they have handed in a completed life certificate to NSSA.”
Periodically, NSSA faces challenges with pensioners’ non-compliance issues that result in the suspension of their payout.
Most pension funds require pensioners to periodically complete and return a certificate confirming that they are still alive.
Online Reporter