adminSurvivor’s pensions or grants are normally paid to the spouse and children of a deceased national pension scheme contributor or pensioner. If the deceased person is unmarried, then a pension or grant may be paid to the person’s parents or other dependant registered as a dependant with NSSA.
Whether it is a pension or grant that is paid depends on the period that contributions were made to the national pension scheme. At least 10 years, or 120 months to be more precise, of contributions are required for a pension.
If contributions were paid for less than that but for at least 12 months, then a grant would be payable. The survivor’s pension is 40 percent of the pension that the contributor would have been entitled to on the basis of his or her contribution period.
To calculate what this pension would be, the contributor’s last monthly insurable earnings are multiplied by the number of contribution years multiplied by 1,333 percent multiplied by 40 percent. The children’s allowance pension is also 40 percent. It can be calculated using the same formula as for the survivor’s pension.
There is one allowance for children, regardless of how many children there may be. The children must be under the age of 18 or, if still in full-time education, 25 years.
However, the allowance may be paid, regardless of age, for children who are permanently disabled and incapable of supporting themselves. The spouse’s survivor’s pension of 40 percent and the children’s allowance of 40 percent mean that the family receives a pension that is 80 percent of the pension the contributor or pensioner would have been eligible for.
However, the minimum survivor’s pension is $30, which currently is 50 percent of the minimum retirement pension. This means that the surviving family of a contributor are entitled only to the minimum pension of $60, $30 for the spouse and $30 for the children.
If the deceased contributor or pensioner does not have a surviving spouse but has children, then the children would receive 80 percent of the pension the contributor would have been eligible for. This applies to cases where the deceased spouse was not a contributor to the scheme. The benefits calculated by multiplying the contributor’s last monthly insurable earnings by the number of contribution years multiplied by 1,333 percent multiplied by 80 percent.
However, if both parents are deceased and both were contributors to the national pension scheme, then the children are entitled to 80 percent of the pension the first deceased parent would have been entitled to and 40 percent of the pension the second deceased parent would have been entitled to.
Where the survivor’s grant is concerned, the amount varies according to the relationship of the dependant to the deceased contributor or pensioner. The spouse receives 40 percent of the grant the contributor would have been entitled to. The children’s grant is also 40 percent.
The formula for calculating this grant is 1/12 multiplied by the annual insurable earnings multiplied by the contribution period multiplied by 40 percent for the spouse or children.
If there is neither a spouse nor any children but the contributor was supporting his or her parents and they are registered with NSSA as dependants, then the parents are eligible for a grant that is 12 percent of the grant that contributor would have been entitled to.
If the dependant registered with NSSA is anyone else other a spouse, children or parents then the grant would be eight percent of the grant the contributor would have been entitled to.
In addition to the survivor’s pension or grant, a $300 funeral grant is payable to assist with the cost of the contributor’s or pensioner’s funeral.
The funeral grant can be claimed by whoever is responsible for paying for the funeral. This grant is payable in respect of the funeral of anyone who contributed to the pension scheme for at least 12 months. The same form, the P9/P10 form is used to apply for any benefit under the National Pension Scheme, whether it is a pension or grant. There is a section on the form that should be completed by the contributor’s employer(s). To claim the survivor’s benefit, whether it is a pension or a grant, the documents required, in addition to the completed P9/P10 form, are a certified photocopy of the claimant’s national identity card, valid Zimbabwean passport or driving licence, a certified copy of the contributor’s death certificate and a certified photocopy of the marriage certificate or original affidavit, if it is a spouse who is claiming.
If a guardian is claiming on behalf of the children, then certified copies of the long birth certificate of the children under 18 and a certificate of guardianship are also required.
For the funeral grant, the applicant should provide a completed P9/P10 form, a certified copy of his or her national identity card, passport or driver’s licence and a certified copy of the death certificate or a burial order.
Pensions should be claimed within 12 months. If they are claimed later than this, the claim will still be considered but the pension, if approved, will only be paid with effect from the date on which NSSA receives the claim.
Grants should be claimed within five years. Grant claims received later than this are normally not considered. However, the requirement to submit claims for grants within five years was suspended for the period 1 January to 31 December 2014 in terms of S.I.144/2013.
Talking Social Security is published weekly by the National Social Security Authority as a public service. There is also a weekly radio programme on social security, PaMheponeNssa/Emoyeni le NSSA, at 6.50pm every Thursday on Radio Zimbabwe and 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) 706523/5, 706545/9, or 799030/1.
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