'Retrieving benefits for deceased relatives no longer stressful' – SSNIT

The Deputy Director-General of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), Adam Suleman, has refuted claims that retrieving benefits for deceased relatives is a challenging and stressful process.

According to him, these perceptions currently held by most people are the result of misinformation. Speaking in an interview with this reporter during a recent stakeholder engagement between SSNIT and the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Adam Suleman noted that the widespread belief that claiming these benefits is a “cumbersome process” is misinformation. He emphasised that once contributors and their families provide the correct information, the process is smooth and efficient.

“Retrieving benefits, especially for deceased relatives who were part of the scheme, is no longer as stressful as people think. Unfortunately, there has been a lot of misinformation regarding what is required, which leads to the idea that the process is difficult. We are having these engagements specifically to clear those doubts,” he said.

To prove the Trust’s commitment to speed, Mr Suleman revealed that SSNIT has significantly improved its internal systems. He noted that if a family provides all the necessary documentation of a deceased relative on time, the Trust can now finalise death benefits in approximately 14 days, according to the measures put in place.

“Our processing has improved significantly. If all information is available, you are looking at about two weeks for death benefits to be ready. In some cases, we have to chase information, which can take time, but the standard goal is two weeks,” he explained.

He further disclosed that SSNIT has strategically partnered with key state agencies, noting that the Trust is working closely with the National Identification Authority (NIA) and the Births and Deaths Registry to verify data automatically.

“We are working with data from these agencies to improve our processes. This helps us verify identities and records faster, reducing the burden on families to provide excessive physical evidence,” he added.



He made these remarks during SSNIT's engagement with the Trades Union Congress (TUC) as part of a collaborative effort to strengthen pension literacy and trust among workers.

The Deputy Director-General said the forum, part of a nationwide engagement, is designed to educate workers on pension benefits and increase transparency within the scheme.

Describing the Trust as a safe haven, he said GH¢8.21 billion in pensions is expected to be paid by the close of 2026, up from GH¢6.77 billion in 2025.

He further disclosed that the Trust is targeting 2.4 million active contributors by the end of 2026 and 2.8 million by 2027.

The engagement also allowed participants to ask questions about retirement security, payment plans, and other related issues.



Speaking on behalf of the TUC, Joshua Ansah, Secretary-General of the TUC, commended SSNIT for embarking on the nationwide engagement. According to him, the forum has made it possible for trade unions to better understand SSNIT's operations.

He, however, pleaded for more such engagements to help workers understand basic issues and become more actively involved.