Both the National Pension Scheme and the Accident Prevention and Worker’s Compensation Scheme administered by NSSA make provision for financial assistance to cushion the families of employees in the event of their death.
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The Worker’s Compensation scheme also includes children’s allowances in the pension paid to a person suffering a permanent disability of more than 30% as a result of a work-related accident or illness.
National Pension Scheme When a national pension scheme contributor or pensioner dies, a survivor’s benefit is payable to the surviving spouse and dependant children or, if there is no spouse and are no children, to parents or other family members registered as dependants with NSSA.
The benefit payable to a pensioner’s surviving spouse and children and to an employee who has contributed to the pension scheme for 120 months or more is a monthly pension. The benefit for the surviving spouse and children of a contributor who has contributed to the scheme for a period exceeding 12 months, but less than 120 months is a lump sum grant.
The survivor’s pension should normally be 40% of what the pensioner or contributor would have been entitled to, although at the moment the minimum survivor’s pension is $20, which is 50% of the minimum payable to retirement pensioners.
A pensioner’s widow or widower is only entitled to a survivor’s pension if married to the pensioner prior to the pensioner’s retirement or invalidity.
Dependent children for whom an allowance is included with the survivor’s benefit are children below the age of 18, children below the age of 25 in full time education and permanently disabled children incapable of supporting themselves regardless of age.
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If the contributor was single and had no children, then his or her parents, if they were dependent on the contributor, or some other dependant can claim the benefit, provided they were registered as dependants with NSSA.
According to Statutory Instrument 393 of 1993, the survivor’s benefit should be claimed within 12 months of the contributor’s death.
Other than the P9/P10 form, completed by the claimant and employer of the contributor, the claimant should submit a certified copy of her/his national identity card or a valid Zimbabwean passport or driver’s licence when claiming the survivor’s benefit and a certified copy of the death certificate of the deceased contributor or pensioner.
If a spouse is claiming the survivor’s benefit, he or she should produce a certified photocopy of the marriage certificate or an original affidavit to prove that he or she was married to the deceased contributor or pensioner.
Dependant children of a NSSA member who, due to their age or disability, cannot claim the benefits independently can be assisted by a guardian. If a guardian is claiming on the children’s behalf, he or she should provide certified copies of the long version of the children’s birth certificates and a certificate of guardianship. A $200 funeral grant is also payable towards the costs of the funeral. This can be claimed by the person responsible for paying for the funeral. The documents required are a completed P9/P10 form, a certified copy of the death certificate or burial order and a certified copy of the claimant’s national identity card, passport or driver’s licence.
Worker’s Compensation Insurance Fund The Accident and Workers’ Compensation Insurance Fund (WCIF) includes allowances for children up to the age of 19 in the pension payable to employees who suffer a permanent disability of more than 30% as a result of a work-related accident. Allowances are also payable for children up to the age of 25, if they are still attending a formal school, college or university.
If the worker dies as a result of a work-related accident or disease, the fund pays the surviving spouse a pension equivalent to two-thirds of the pension the worker would have been entitled to, if he or she had survived the accident.
If there is more than one spouse, the amount is shared equally between them. If the surviving spouse remarries, then she or he receives a lump sum equivalent to 24 months pension. The pension then stops. However, the children’s allowances remain unaltered.
If a single person dies as a result of a work-related accident, a dependency allowance may be paid to the person’s parents or sisters or brothers. However, proof that they were dependent on the deceased worker must be established.
For children of the worker to be considered dependants, they must have been born before or within 10 months of the work-related accident.
The NSSA employee registration form (P3 Form), provides a section where the employee is required to fill in details of his or her dependants, including his own children. Section A of the WCIF 14 Form also requires the member to fill in details of the spouse and children who are dependant on him or her.
This information should be filled in correctly so that dependants are registered with NSSA, making it easier for NSSA to process their benefits when they lodge a claim.
lTalking 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 le NSSA, discussing social security issues at 6.50 pm every Thursday on Radio Zimbabwe and every Friday on National FM. There is another social security programme on Star FM on Wednesdays after 5.30 pm. 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) 706517-8 or 706523 5.
