The Government Institutions Pension Fund (GIPF) says approximately 4,000 beneficiaries are currently at risk of missing their pension benefits due to incomplete biometric verification.
The beneficiaries last verified their information before June 2024.
According to General Manager: Marketing and Stakeholders Engagement, Edwin Tjiramba, pensioners, children, and spousal beneficiaries must complete biometric verification by Wednesday, 20 November 2024.
Failure to do so will result in withholding monthly pension benefits for the November payment cycle, scheduled for 28 November.
“To date, close to 4,000 pension beneficiaries who last verified before June 2024 face the risk of not receiving their monthly pension benefits on 28 November 2024,” he said.
The Fund also reassured beneficiaries that tax refunds previously promised will be honoured for verified recipients on November 28.
He further explained that the biometric verification process is mandatory, requiring eligible beneficiaries to provide proof of life three times a year at any GIPF office nationwide.
This measure helps ensure that benefits are only paid to eligible members. Those who do not verify by the deadline will not receive their November income from the Fund.
This comes as GIPF recently introduced a mobile biometric verification application, allowing pensioners, children and spousal beneficiaries to complete verification from the comfort of their homes.