Benefits for pensioners of the Social Security National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) has been increased 18%, SSNIT's Corporate Affairs Manager, Eva Amegashie has disclosed.
According to her, “on the whole, there has been an 18% increment for 2017. There is a fixed rate of 15% which everybody is going to collect of whatever salary you are earning plus GHc 17.41 and this will equal the 18 % increment".
Per the current hike, pensioners are expected to receive GHc334.81 as benefits from GHc276.00.
The increment is, however, lower than that of 2016 which was pegged at 20%.
In the meantime, all fresh pensioners from January 2017 will receive a minimum monthly pension benefit of GHc276.00.
Also, SSNIT urges all pensioners who have not yet re-registered for their biometric smart cards to do so by 28th February 2017.
All unregistered pensions, according to a statement by the scheme, will have their pension payment delayed if they do not re-register for their smart cards.
“It helps us to know those on the pension scheme and you can even use the biometric card for any identity…We have moved into a new environment so even those who are not pensioners are advised to get the smart card,†she said,