I recently attended a briefing by Abel Sithole, the Principle Executive Officer of the Government Employees’ Pension Fund (GEPF), on the state of the fund’s finances.
What occurred to me during the discussion was how much better off GEPF pensioners (and those GEPF members about to retire) have been than investors in living annuities or company pensions.
What many members do not fully understand is that the GEPF is a defined benefit fund. This means the pension received by members has nothing to do with the investment performance of the fund. It relates purely to the number of years of service, your average salary in the last two years multiplied by the accrual rate. The accrual rate is defined under the law the governs the GEPF.
What this means is that irrespective of the performance of the markets or individual investments within the GEPF, a member on retirement gets their guaranteed pension whether the fund value rose or fell in the years before retirement.
This is completely different from a defined contribution company retirement fund or a retirement annuity. Over the last three years the markets have performed poorly, and pension fund members would have experienced little to no growth in their pension fund. Yet for members of the GEPF, their pension is still determined by years of service and salary.
What is concerning is that some GEPF members have been convinced by financial advisers to resign before retirement so that they can place their funds in a market-linked pension preservation fund. Scare tactics like the risk to the GEPF member of poorly performing funds, such as the huge losses in Steinhoff shares, have partly driven this behaviour. Members have also opted for this route as they believe this is a way to leave some money to their beneficiaries, as a preservation fund can be converted to a living annuity. Living annuities are market linked and any fund value at the time of death can be left to beneficiaries.
In terms of the income in retirement, GEPF provides a guaranteed income for life with a 50% pension for a spouse, should the main member pass away first. The first five years of the annuity are guaranteed, which means if the member passes away before then, the full annuity continues to pay out during the first five years of retirement.
The GEPF guarantees an annual pension increase each year of 75% of inflation, however since 1996 it has paid an annual increase in line with or slightly higher than inflation. This is largely due to market performance which allows the fund to provide additional benefits.
In comparison, investors in market-linked living annuities have had an extremely poor experience since 2015 when the markets have provided close to zero returns. With living annuities, retirees rely on market performance to provide a sustainable income, so when they experience poor market returns, they may be forced to draw on their capital to meet their income needs rather than use the growth in the fund.
Who pays for poor investment returns?
Considering that pension values of GEPF members are not impacted by the fund performance, why should it matter? Poor performance has a negative impact on government and ultimately the taxpayer. As Sithole said, “the Steinhoff crisis kept me awake at night and it kept Treasury awake at night, but it shouldn’t keep the member awake.”
Sithole says South Africa is one of the few countries where the state pension is guaranteed by government and it cannot be reduced. Unlike countries in Europe and the UK, where the government reduces the state pension when it runs out of money, the government is required by law to honour retirement benefits. This means government must pay the balance of the cost of the retirement benefits. Bad investment decisions will mean that government must take money from other vital areas of spending to make up for any shortfall in the GEPF.
In 1996 government inherited a bankrupt GEPF which only had enough money to pay out 72c for every R1 owed to members. This was due to bad management by the previous government which had used the GEPF to try and prop up the South African economy when international funding dried up due to apartheid. The result was that government had to fund the shortfall through taxes.
Through proper investment management and stronger stock market returns, in 2004 the GEPF reached 100% funding level of liabilities. This means it has been able to meet its obligations through fund performance alone. Currently the GEPF has 108% funding level or R1.08 of value for every R1 of member benefits.
The concern is that this rate has been falling, being closer to R1.20 per R1 of benefits in 2012. This is mostly due to poor market returns as well as a rise in resignations in 2015. However, there was enough of a buffer in the fund to still meet its obligations and not require funding from government.
Why are people worried?
What is of more concern is that the longer-term funding for GEPF liabilities has dropped significantly. If one looks at the next 30 years, based on current assumptions, the funding level will fall to 75.5%. In other words, the funding level over the long-term is 75c for every R1 of liability. This could be a potential problem for government who would have to fund this shortfall if the levels do not recover.
Sithole explains that in calculating the minimum and long-term funding levels, various factors are considered. These include the probability of members leaving the fund, the age on leaving the fund as well as family statistics and gender. On the financial side they consider market returns, future salary increases, promotional salary increases as well as future pension increases.
Any changes in the assumptions around these factors could change the outlook. Better-than-expected investment returns would have a positive impact. Sithole says certain factors have put pressure on the fund such as longevity. The average age expectancy of the GEPF is 19 years post-retirement. If members live an extra five years, that means the fund is paying out for a longer period of time, increasing the funding requirements.
Sithole says another challenge is that government has been contributing at a lower rate and at some stage will need to increase its contribution. Given the tight national budget at the moment, government will not be prioritising this as long as the GEPF current funding level remains well above 100%. Sithole says more moderate salary increases could also help stabilise the long-term funding level. Finally, GEPF may need to review the above-inflation increases it is currently providing to its pensioners.
Leaving a legacy and securing your income
Most parents have a dream of leaving a legacy for their children when they pass away. They hope they can do this with their retirement fund. The reality is that most people have insufficient retirement benefits to meet their income needs for their retirement, considering we are likely to live at least 20 years after retirement. If, however, you have enough income from your GEPF pension to meet your needs, then you could consider using the lump sum portion, which is also available as part of your retirement package, for your children.
You could invest this amount and if you do not require it for your income needs, you can leave it to your beneficiaries. Keep in mind that you can donate R100 000 a year to your children without paying donations tax. For example, if you received R500 000 as your lump sum benefit and invested it for twenty years with an average return of 6% above inflation, it would be worth R1.6 million in today’s value.
This article first appeared in City Press.
My Mom lives in Australia and received 50% of my Dad’s pension after he passed away in 2015. They have all of a sudden since Covid stopped paying her pension, she has emailing them without success.
Has she been dealing with GPAA? https://www.gpaa.gov.za/
Good afternoon,
Please would you be so kind as to assist me. I have been recently informed by a financial advisor that when I retire at age 65, GEPF will only pay me a income or annuity for only 5 years and not longer if I survive, and a percentage in the form of a gratuity. When I visited the GEPF website, it only indicated a ‘monthly income’. It does not indicate a ‘monthly income for life’. However, in your article above it says:
“In terms of the income in retirement, GEPF provides a guaranteed income for life with a 50% pension for a spouse, should the main member pass away first. The first five years of the annuity are guaranteed, which means if the member passes away before then, the full annuity continues to pay out during the first five years of retirement.”
Please can you help me I am so confused. I have already emailed GEPF but have not received a reply.
Kind regards,
Melissa
As discussed, this is absolutely not true. The GEPF pension is for life
Hi Maya I employed for da dept of health I was divorced in 2011 and my 50% of my pension was paid to my ex but I was nt notified by da GEPF and my HR about paying bak da 50% I think is nt fair for me to loose so many years of my hard worked service in da department plz advise hw can I get my 50% back thanks
Unfortunately that was the court order in the divorce agreement, it is not a rule of GEPF. Your only option is to ask to buy back years of service
Hi I have submitted the documents for children pension in December 2019 and also submitted all de outstanding documents I was told about but lately when i went to the branch here in Bloemfontein I did not get any answers I even called and hold for about 35 min and the call was dropped can you kindly assist
Email me the details and I can forward it for you
Please , when is head office Pta reopening , I retired on 31/12/2020 and still not received my pension ! The banks don’t accept this as reason for Covid relief , as my funds are depleted !
Whenever I receive a complaint about delayed payment it turns out the employer had not filed the paperwork. Try your HR – if they are back in action
I know the file is stuck at Pta one of the people there gave me feedback , but I only heard somebody in the offices got Covid so they have gone in lockdown again , my HR office confirmed that the file is at Pta !
Hi. Please tell me why do I have to pay back the money that my spouse was paid out in a divorce. I was never informed of paying the money back. Now I have to lose years of hard earned service. Is there any way we can take this up
In a normal pension fund your pension value would have decreased by the percentage paid to your former spouse – for example 50%. In order to have the same funds available at retirement you would have had to increase your contributions.
As the GEPF retirement benefit is based on years of service, they reduce the years of service but you have the option to increase your contributions to purchase those back.
Hi, I am looking for someone to help me, I cannot get hold of GEPF or GPAA.
I resigned and I am waiting for my pension payout, it has already been 6 months.
Useful information indeed. I always thought that because I’m single and my daughter is above 22 years already, it is better to resign and take away everything. Is this a better plan?
You will pay an enormous amount of tax and GEPF provides a guareentee
I have a dispute regarding my pension computation.the department submitted incorrect information when my fixed term contract was terminated and I was dismissed from the public service. For the last 30 months I have been communicating with Gepf with no response. Please advise who can I contact to resolve my dispute
please email your details to me maya@mayaonmoney.co.za
One thing you left out in the article is the theft of years service due to interest charged on the amount payed out to a spouse in a divorce. Had I been given the information on the GEPF ethics in these cases I would have resigned the fund too.
That is a big issue. It is definitely something that needs to be challenged.
Yes it is I just find it funny thy there is a divorce calculator and it says start date of marriage and end date of marriage when the clerk gets the divorce order and it says pay 50% then they take 40 yrs ÷2 which eaquIls 20 yrs but you being working 40 yrs and only being married 2 Are They using the right calculator divorce calculator benicits it hS start and end date of marriage so fairly the spouse should be paid half of 2yrs
That is all discussed and debated as part of the divorce agreement. If you are married in community of property it applies to all assets and debts accrued prior to the marriage. This is why ante nuptial agreements are recommended.
Hi, my daughter turns 18 on the 20 of December 2019. The Administration in my district said that she can only fill in the necessary documents after she turns 18 and the monies will be available in February after their 90 day process. This seems like a delay because the monies supposed to be transferred to the beneficiary when they turn 18 and any paperwork can be filled in now.
I confirmed with GEPF. The problem is that your daughter cannot sign the documents as an adult until she is actually an adult.
Hi maya how long do you wait for the 5 year balance to pay out cause everytime i phone they tell me something different today they told me i must wait 60 working days
Are you a beneficiary of someone who has passed away in retirement?
Do I have the right to ask gepf who else got paid on my dad’s pensions as u received only 35000 for over 20years of service as a carertaker at the school, by the way he only had his spouse, me and my brother n never had a nomination form filled according to the information we got from school HR, we were called to fill forms with no proper meeting or explanation of the process n it ws quite until this payout, um worried something went wrong there as my step mom is now secretive n pushed us away, please advise if this is possible b if so how or what can I do if It does not make sense even to you too
There is a formula that is applied in terms of claims of children and spouses. You can contact GPAA to understand how the calculation was made
Maya I would like to know whether its true that the pension will be reduced if one retires at age above sixty
That makes no sense – the later you retire the more years of service you have therefore the higher the income in retirement.
Hi Maya
Can you please help me understand this, my sister’s husband worked at the government and so passed on in 2003 and his wife claimed and received the benefits. while still earning monthly pension allowance in lieu of her late husband, she passed away. My question is does it mean there is nothing their children can get from the GEPF because really they are struggling.
Only if the children are still minors – that is up to 22 if they are still studying
If a child is disabled but over 22?
An eligible child qualifies for child pension up to the age of 22, regardless whether or not the child is a student. If a child is disabled and fully dependant on the deceased member or pensioner, the child will qualify for the benefit until he or she passes away.
Hi. Maya. How can this situation be avoided.
My father-in-law passed on the 9th of June this year. I started the process of claiming the funeral benefit 2 days later. It is 2 months later and we still waiting the payout. Endless phonecalls, faxing and emailing the same documents over and over made me realize why some would just give up and not go further to claim.
Hi Maya, my mother recently passed (almost two months ago). She was a teacher before retiring in 2016 due to health reasons. She was a GEPF member. I want to know how we claim as her children and spouse (my dad is still alive) whatever needs to be claimed, funeral benefits, spousal monthly payment etc..please help
You need to contact the GPAA
012 319 1911
Government Pensions Administration Agency (GPAA), Phone
So members that are not married lose out on the spouse payments? Or are those paid out in a different form?
It is calculated in the annuity you receive. A single person with no spouse would receive a higher income
Great article! Do you think its therefore better to leave the money in the GEPF or buy a different annuity?
I can’t give advice but what I can tell you is that you get a better income from GEPF (guaranteed annuity rate) than a guaranteed annuity in the retail market as they don’t have retail fees and commissions
According to the GEPF the children will receive the benefit and they will pay according to the nomination form. However in the absence of a nomination form they will pay all the biological children of the deceased. The kids will need to do an affidavit to proof that they are biological children of the deceased. So make sure your nomination form is up to date
Maya what happens to income within first 5 years if somebody is divorced? Will children receive it? Good article.
Hi i have a question my uncle worked of department of water affairs so passed on since then no pension fund not received from then we can claim or not,
You would have to contact the GPAA for that information.
Tel. 012 319 1911.
Fax. 012 326 2507.
Web address. http://www.gpaa.gov.za.
E-mail enquiries@gpaa.gov.za.
Postal address. GPAA Private Bag X63. Pretoria. 0001. Contact Us. Please feel free to contact us using the form below. Name Telephone Email. Email.
Good article. Most GEPF members give up good benefits of Retiring in GEPF because they want control an… https://t.co/cnv3MTncur
Good article. Most GEPF members give up good benefits of Retiring in GEPF because they want control an… https://t.co/cnv3MTncur
Thanks Maya for that information, we need everything we could learn about GEPF. I also belong to this fund and recently there has been much scare and uncertainty by the members. This can be avoided by being well informed.
I have realised how few people actually understand how it works and this makes them vulnerable to mis-selling