The Government Institutions Pension Fund (GIPF) has announced that it has amended its funeral claim submission procedure, so that now it will also accept funeral claims submitted electronically via email.
“Funeral benefits are paid upon a submission of a completed funeral claim form, accompanied by required certified supporting documents, such as the death certificate, identity document of the deceased member and claimant, marriage certificate (if married) and proof of banking particulars of the claimant.
“If the deceased was not married (single member), declarations of oath from two independent family members stating their relationship to the deceased and at the same time giving permission to a claimant to claim the funeral benefit,” stated Hilkka Mbako, GIPF’s Manager for Client Services.
“Funeral claims submitted electronically would be acknowledged and processed in the shortest time possible, thereby eliminating the need for the claimant to come physically to the GIPF office.
“These claims can either be submitted by a Human Resource practitioner from a GIPF participating employer or the applicable claimant. Additionally, GIPF requests each claimant to kindly submit the funeral claim with original certified supporting documents within a period of 10 working days.
“Claims can still be submitted in person or via couriers. We have been advising members to stay home and safe and the change (in accepting online claim submissions) is therefore to make the funeral claiming process a bit easier for our members,” Mbako stated.
Mbako said that the changes to funeral claims procedures is inspired by the Fund’s Vision of being a leading and model Pension Fund globally and by living its service excellence value of delivering the Right, Fast, and Humane quality service to all its stakeholders in an innovative, professional, and respectful manner.
The Fund provides funeral benefits to members and qualifying dependents of employees of government and public sector institutions. The benefits can be classified in the following categories: Funeral benefits for Active Members, Members on Disability, Retired Members and Qualifying spouses and dependents of active members.
In the photo: Hilkka Mbako, GIPF’s manager for client services.
