SSNIT Introduces Annual Certificate Renewal for Pensioners Starting April 2026
The Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) has rolled out a new policy requiring all pensioners to renew their pensioner certificates every year to continue receiving their benefits.
The Annual Pensioner Certificate Renewal Policy aims to safeguard the entitlements of more than 257,000 pensioners while ensuring that payments cease promptly when beneficiaries pass away, thereby protecting the public purse.
Set to take effect next April, the initiative replaces the old verification arrangement under which pensioners were validated only once at age 72 under PNDC Law 247 or at age 75 under Act 766.
Launching the policy in Accra, SSNIT’s General Manager for Benefits, Frank Molbila, said the new system requires yearly certificate renewal to ensure that annuities go to the right recipients.
He noted that the annual validation will also ensure proper payments to the pensioner’s nominated beneficiaries if the pensioner is deceased, explaining that the updated approach is designed to protect benefits both during the pensioner’s lifetime and after their passing.
Mr. Molbila added that under the old arrangement, pensioners who missed the renewal after age 72 or 75 were automatically considered deceased and removed from the payroll.
He explained that SSNIT sometimes discovered, during the processing of survivor benefits, that pensioners who had not reached the mandatory verification age had died years earlier without the Trust being informed.
In such cases, payments continued unknowingly, raising concerns about misuse of public funds. The new yearly renewal, done during the pensioner’s birth month will help prevent benefits from going to unqualified persons.
Mr. Molbila stressed that the approach will strengthen payroll integrity, help protect contributor funds and ensure SSNIT maintains accurate pensioner records.
SSNIT has outlined multiple channels to make the process easier:
- SSNIT Mobile App with facial recognition
- The Virtual Branch
- Selected GCB Bank and Ecobank branches
- All 53 SSNIT offices nationwide
- Scheduled home visits for pensioners with mobility challenges (arranged through 0302 611 622)
He added that SSNIT will send reminders at least one month before every pensioner’s birth month to help ensure compliance.
The annual renewal will serve as continuous confirmation that the right person is receiving the correct benefit.
Deputy Director-General for Operations and Benefits, Adam Sulley, said the new policy guidance is intended to clear up confusion created by earlier public notices, confirming that SSNIT wants every pensioner to understand the timelines, procedures and available channels, especially those who may find movement difficult.
“We recognise that parts of that notice caused confusion for some pensioners and stakeholders regarding the timelines and the renewal process.”
Story by Adwoa S. Danso
