SSNIT encourages contributors to update their beneficiary list

The Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) has encouraged everybody enrolled in the scheme to regularly update their beneficiary list to prevent any misunderstandings in case of death.

Ms. Emefa Agonyo, SSNIT Public Affairs Officer, spoke of the situation where some people still have their deceased parents on their beneficiary list.

“Some people still have their deceased parents’ on their form as their beneficiaries while others have other people other than their spouses or children.”

Speaking at a forum organized by the Tema Regional Office of the Ghana News Agency, she said this was unhelpful and tended to create problems when the contributor passed on.

Ms Agonyo said it would sometimes end up in the court, the spouse and children would show up only to be told that their auntie or uncle or dead grandparents were the legitimate beneficiaries on the registration form.

She explained that where a contributor did not update their beneficiary list before passing on the position of the law is that only the children less than 18 years must be given the benefit.

She added that where the deceased had children outside marriage, and an investigation established this fact, SSNIT will pay 60 percent of the benefit package to those children under the age of 18 years.

Mr. Francis Ameyibor, the Tema Regional Manager of the Ghana News Agency, underlined the need to up the education to help contributors to have a better understanding of why it was important to update their records.

Source: GNA