WINDHOEK - The Government Institutions Pension Fund (GIPF) has urged all annuitants such as pensioners, children and spouses that receive a monthly pension benefit from GIPF to visit their nearest GIPF office to register for Biometrics.
Thereafter, annuitants are also encouraged to visit their nearest GIPF or NamPost office where annuitants should ensure they are registered and to verify three times a year during from November to February, March to June and July to October. If annuitants fail to register or verify within the allocated time frame, their pension benefits will be suspended and will only be activated upon registration or verification.
”Verification is the process where the annuitant uses his/her fingerprint to verify his/her identity to confirm that he/she is still alive. This process ensures that the monthly income is paid to the rightful annuitant. All annuitants must be registered and verified to ensure they receive their monthly benefit from GIPF,” said David Nuyoma, Chief Executive Officer of the GIPF.
GIPF uses the biometrics identification system, which identifies a person by comparing fingerprints to information stored on the database. GIPF registers all annuitants who receive a monthly income from the Fund to enable the Fund to identify their existence and ensure they receive benefit payments due to them.
If an annuitant is not registered for Biometrics and does not have a GIPF Card, then they are required to bring along either an original identity document, a valid passport, a full birth certificate, a valid driver’s license with full birth certificate or a voter’s card with full birth certificate.
Annuitants below 18 years should be represented by the parent or a legal guardian and the adults accompanying them should have either an original ID, valid passport, valid driver’s license with birth certificate, voter’s card with birth certificate, guardianship certificate (only required for legal guardian other than a parent) or the child’s full birth certificate.
“After an annuitant registers for Biometrics he/she is required to verify three (3) times a year and is required to bring along his/her GIPF Smart Card. The verification process takes no longer than two minutes and annuitants younger than 12 years are required to verify at GIPF offices due to the changes that children fingerprints undergo in that age group, which might require them to be re-enrolled,” concluded Nuyoma.
Annuitants can verify at any of the GIPF offices countrywide, including Windhoek (Head Office), Windhoek (Bl City satellite office), Ondangwa, Oshakati, Rundu, Katima Mulilo, Keetmanshoop, Gobabis, Otjiwarongo, Swakopmund, Outapi, Eenhana or at their nearest Nampost office.