The management of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) has responded to claims by the Civil and Local Government Staff Association, Ghana (CLOGSAG) that a declaration form that ought to be completed before pension benefits are processed by state pension trust will be to the disadvantage of pensioners.
“The form is designed in a manner that does not allow a pensioner to any claim, thereafter, if there are even genuine grounds for further payment”, a statement signed by CLOGSAG Executive Secretary Isaac Bampoe Addo said.
It added: “This disingenuous practice has just surfaced and we are at a loss as to what motivated such a demand from SSNIT”.
CLOGSAG has, thus, advised its members “to desist from completing the so-called” ‘Acceptance Form’.
But SSNIT, in clarifying the issues raised by CLOGSAG, outlined the following in a statement: “That in our quest to serve members and clients better, we assist members of the scheme to vet their SSNIT statements of account to ensure completeness and accuracy. Members may then attest to whether the statements of account are accurate or not by signing the appropriate documents.
“That if any inaccuracy is noticed, Members can draw the Trust’s attention for it to be rectified and indicate whether they want their benefits to be paid whilst the issues with the Statements are resolved later. Members may also exercise the right to wait for the anomalies to be corrected before their pensions are computed and paid”.
The statement continued: “That a Member, by attesting to the completeness and accuracy of the SSNIT Statement of Account to be used for the computation of the benefits, does not forfeit any rightfully earned benefits when additional financial information is retrieved for that person at a later date.
The statement further noted that “the said acceptance or attestation does not have anything to do with the payment of Past Credit and matters arising thereof”.
SSNIT, therefore, assured all contributors and pensioners that it “will, at all times, pay their benefits accurately and promptly as has always been done”.
The statement also urged all its members, pensioners, organised labour and anyone who may have any grievance, to contact management for redress.
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