Millions in GIPF pension benefits remain unclaimed
The Government Institutions Pension Fund (GIPF) is calling on all former members who have left employment due to retirement, resignation, ill health, disability, or retrenchment, but who have not claimed or received their pension benefits from GIPF, to contact the HR Offices of their former employers to lodge their claim.
The Fund in a statement this week said millions of dollars are with the GIPF, in what is referred to as unclaimed benefits.
“Every staff member of a participating employer from all Government Offices, Ministries, and Agencies as well as participating state-owned entities and Regional and Village Councils are entitled to receive pension benefits at the time when they leave employment and cease to be a member of the GIPF.”
According to the GIPF, these benefits are guaranteed as per the rules of the Fund and therefore, are paid out to members once a benefit claim is received by GIPF with all relevant supporting documents.
“At times however, members and HR officers of participating employers of the GIPF do not complete the relevant claim forms by the time a member leaves service,” the GIPF said, adding that consequently, these benefits remain with the fund as unclaimed benefits.
GIPF Manager: Marketing Services, Amos Kambonde said the Fund has in the meantime, introduced a self-service help tab on its recently revamped website.
“This makes it easy for members to search for their names on the site to determine whether they indeed appear on the published lists of the unclaimed benefits. What a member needs to do is to click on the relevant Ministry’s name to start the search. GIPF is thus urging all former members to visit the GIPF website to check whether your names appear on the list of unclaimed benefits on the website,” he said.
Furthermore, Kambonde said members can use the search area provided to type in their information or the information of a GIPF member that they know did not receive his/her benefits and press enter to find out if them or that member is one of the beneficiaries the GIPF is searching for.
“Apart from the website, members are also encouraged to be on the lookout for information that indicates when the Fund will be on the radio and its social media pages sharing fund and benefits-related matters,” he said.
