What procedure should I follow if my pay-out is taking too long?

Question:

Hey, my husband has been retrenched and Tuesday marked the 8th week of his provident fund pay-out waiting period. He was told that the average waiting period is between 8-10 weeks and that if the 10th week passes without pay-out, he must follow up, meaning that he must go back to the place where he handed in his papers. Everyone is complaining because they must follow up so many times. I just want to know who can be contacted if pay-out is taking too long? Thank you. Regards, Saadiqah

Answer:

Your husband can also phone (rather than visit) the administrator, to get an update, instil a sense of urgency and to ensure that the process is on track (ie all documents have been received and there are no problems with SARS). If the administrator's pay-out is late for no good reason, this matter should be reported to your husband's previous employer as the administrator may be falling short of the agreed service level/turnaround time.

If you have no joy on either end, and the pay-out is very delayed, then you need to follow your Fund complaints procedure, which is usually set out in the Fund documentation and/or on the web site.

Typically, if you have a complaint or dispute regarding the Fund's administration including the pay-out of your claim you may lodge a written complaint to the Fund. The Principal Officer of the Fund may address the complaint immediately or may need to institute an investigation to ascertain the causes that led to the complaint. Where necessary the Principal Officer will refer the complaint to the Board of Trustees for consideration.

If the Fund's response does not satisfy you, or the Fund fails to address the complaint, you have the right to refer the case to the Pension Funds Adjudicator. There is no charge for lodging a complaint with the adjudicator, nor are the services of an advocate or attorney required.

Pension Fund Adjudicator contact details:

Ground and First Floor, Corporate Place, 23 Fredman Drive, 2010, Sandton, 2196. Postal Address: PO Box 651826, Benmore, 2010 Telephone: 087 942 2700 Fax: 087 942 2644 E-mail: enquiries-jhb@pfa.org.za