WHO OWNS DEATH BENEFITS?

Sir, 

I write with great respect for your great newspaper and hope that you will consider publication of this story below. It is the duty of every country to look after its citizens; as they sit in the Parliament chambers, the parliamentarian’s devise and enact laws that will be good for the country and its citizens. 

World over, laws have been designed to look after its aged citizens, the pensioners; not all people are fortunate to grow old and enjoy their pension savings, but die early and leave dependents in the midst. 

Laws

The pension management laws have extended to dependents as the legitimate beneficiaries to the savings by the dearly departed parent(s).

Over time, this benefit has not only benefited the pensioner and or the dependents but has attracted a lot of predators to add their names as worthy of the benefits! They have been instances where the pensioners get robbed in daylight, scammed electronically and otherwise. Some dependents have never known their real worth, never got their hands on what was legitimately left by their parents. 

Thieves

Quite amazing the thieves do not always come in masks and guns, but are the very relatives who give that daily pat in the back each morning ‘Unjani mtukulu wami lomuhle?, Ngicela usayine lapha mfana wami! then she runs to the pension office to get the next cheque for her next trip to the mall!

There is a 15-old boy who lost his mother some eleven years ago and was left in the custody of his grandparents. They were quick to remind their dad about his obligations to the child, though they refused him full custody.

When the child started Form I the father got him registered in a boarding school, something that took away the cumbersome and uncomfortable route dictated by the grand parents with regards to visitations; over time the boy felt more at ease and comfortable with the father, the umbilical cord to the grandparents got that gradual degradation and severed where, currently the boy needs a slight nudge to go and say high to granny.

Back to the main story. A visit to Public Service Pension Fund offices proved to be the worst thing ever to happen. 

Enquiry

The child’s name was used by the grandparent to open a bank account, and they keep the ATM card, a convenient source of their petty cash. On further enquiry, the boy revealed how each time he is taken to the PSPF office to sign a document on an annual basis!

Is this what the PSPF is about? Are they not supposed to ensure that the funds help the survivors in their livelihood and education? If these funds were saved in their entirety, these would be a great starter pack at university or to help kick start that first business. The PSPF said that it is up to the grandparents to surrender the card – is that a possibility?

GE

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