Benefits

The fund that provides

benefits for civil servants
and employees of member institutions.
Who is GIPF? How do I join GIPF?

GIPF stands for the Government Institutions Pension Fund which is a
statutory pension fund that was created by the Namibian Government
to provide pension and other related benefits to civil servants as well as
employees of some institutions established by Acts of parliament. GIPF
is a defined pension benefit fund and its operations are guided by the
provisions of the Pension Funds Act 24 of 1956 and the Income Tax Acts.
Membership to GIPF is a compulsory condition of employment for all civil
servants in the employment of the Government of the Republic of Namibia
and institutions whose employees are members of GIPF.
How much do the members contribute to the fund?

What is a defined benefit pension fund?
A defined benefit pension fund provides guaranteed pension benefits to
its members.
The benefits are funded by both the member and the employer. A member
contributes an amount equal to 7% of his/her monthly pensionable salary
(also known as emoluments) to the Fund while the employer contributes
16%. These contributions are used to provide the benefits guaranteed in
terms of the Rules of the Fund.

The benefits are defined in terms of the Rules of the Fund. The
calculations of most benefits are based on the final average salary, age What type of benefits does GIPF offer?
and the number of years that the member contributed to the Fund. It
also means that should the Fund be unable to fulfill its promise to its GIPF offers the following pension benefits:
members, the employer undertakes to provide the benefits as promised. • Normal pension benefits
• Early retirement benefits
• Ill-health benefits
Who manages the fund? • Disability income benefits
• Death benefits
GIPF is controlled by a Board of Trustees representing the employer • Retrenchment benefits and
(which is the Government), the Public Service Commission, pensioners • Funeral benefits
and trade unions.

The Boards of Trustees has established within itself committees that Who are the members of GIPF:
deal with investments, rules and benefits. To fulfill their fiduciary
responsibilities, the Board investigates thoroughly and monitors Fund • Active Members
matters in detail to ensure that the Fund achieves unqualified audit • Pensioners
reports and the provision of professional and efficient services to its • GIPF deceased members children (Orphans)
members. GIPF employs staff members that administer the Fund.

The operations are headed by a CEO who is the Principal Officer of

GIPF. Besides its head office in Windhoek, GIPF has regional offices in
Keetmanshoop, Oshakati, Ondangwa, Otjiwarongo, Katima Mulilo, Rundu,
Swakopmund and Gobabis.
 Pensioners
Pensioners
Picture

“
In terms of the GIPF Rules, an employee who retires
“
at the age of 60 and becomes eligible for monthly
income from GIPF. The employee will no longer be
permanently employed and will not be required to
pay further monthly contributions.
Who is a Pensioner?
In terms of the GIPF Rules, an employee who retires at the age of 60 and
becomes eligible for monthly income from GIPF. The employee will no longer
be permanently employed and will not be required to pay further monthly
contributions.
How to Claim Your GIPF Pension
3 Months before the last working day a Human Resource (HR) Officer will
complete a Pension Claim Form that will be submitted to GIPF after the last
working date with the following documents:
• Certified copy of an Identity Document/Passport
• Original latest pay slip
• Proof of bank account (request for this at your bank)
• Certified copy of Taxpayer Certificate
• Certified copy of Marriage Certificate
At least six weeks after a complete claim has been submitted to GIPF by the HR
Officer the pensioner will receive:
• A third of the total pension amount in a lump sum tax free payment
• A monthly income (Pension) that will be calculated as 2.4 percent of the final
salary, multiplied by the number of years worked
• For Early Retirement this amount will be reduced by 0.25 percent
Pensioners Responsibilities
To receive this monthly income a pensioner must complete a Certificate of
Existence or register for Biometrics within 3 months of receiving your 1/3
lump sum payout. The Certificate of Existence applies to pensioners who live
outside Namibia or those with exceptional circumstances which prevent them
from reaching the GIPF Office. All other pensioners are required to register for
Biometrics at the nearest GIPF office.
Registering for Biometrics
Biometrics is a system that identifies an individual by their unique thumbprint
and linking it to information stored on the GIPF database. Every pensioner who
receives a monthly income from GIPF is required to register.
One of the following original documents are required for registration:
• Identity Document
• Valid Passport
• Drivers license and a Birth Certificate
• Voters Registration card and a Birth Certificate
After registering for Biometrics, the pensioner will receive a GIPF Pensioner Card.
Tax Return Form
All GIPF pensioners are required to pay tax on the monthly pension and those
earning above the tax threshold should request a tax advice from GIPF in order to
fill in a tax return form.
What if your monthly Pension payment stops?
Your monthly payment may stop if you fail to either submit a Certificate of
Existence or register for Biometrics. Please contact GIPF for assistance if this
occurs.
Pension Income Statement
This is a statement that details the monthly pension that you receive. It’s
important to keep your contact details up to date, so that you can continue to
receive all necessary correspondence.
Death After Retirement
If a pensioner dies within 5 years of having reached retirement age (the guarantee
period) and was unmarried, the equivalent value of the outstanding pension
payments will be paid in a lump sum to the dependants or if there are no
dependants it will be payable into the deceased’s estate after which the executor
will distribute according to the deceased’s wishes.
If a pensioner dies within 5 years of having reached retirement age (the guarantee
period) and was married, the spouse will receive a full monthly pension until
the lapse of the 5 year guarantee period. Thereafter, the monthly pension will
be reduced to 50% payable for life, subject to increases as determined by the
Trustees of the Fund.
If a pensioner dies after 5 years of having reached retirement age (after the
guarantee period) and was single, the pension will cease (nothing payable).
The family of a deceased pensioner should notify GIPF and submit a death
Certificate as soon as possible.
 Guardianship
Guardianship
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“ The Guardian is the person responsible for making
important legal decisions on behalf of a minor.
Minor Beneficiaries of GIPF
Members
The minor children of a deceased GIPF
member are eligible to receive a monthly
children’s pension. This is part of the
Death Benefit of a GIPF member and is
payable upon submission and processing
of the death claim. Childrens’ pension is
a benefit payable to a beneficiary who is
a minor and will be paid to his/her legal
guardian.
To qualify for the children’s pension, a
child should be younger than 18 years, and
unmarried. If between the ages of 18-25,
he/she should be either:
• A full-time student at a recognised
educational institution. Proof of appoints a guardian or he/she is
enrollment should be provided on an
annual basis.
• Disabled as a result of physical defect
or mental weakness (Medical child, whether or not related to the
Certificate and other related proof
required).
Claiming Children’s Pension Benefit
The following documents must be attached
to the claim form submitted to the GIPF
office by the HR officer:
• Full birth certificate
• Identity document of parent/guardian
• Guardianship letter/Certificate
• Proof of banking, postal and contact
details of the parent or guardian
Registering a Minor for Biometrics
Immediately after lump sum payments
and commencement of monthly pension
payout, all children receiving monthly
pension need to be registered on
Biometrics at any of the GIPF offices
countrywide, within six months after
payments otherwise the monthly pension
will stop. After registration, a child has
to go for verification at any GIPF office
every four months. A child below 18 years
represented by the parent/guardian, must
bring along the following documents for
first time registration:
• Full birth certificate of the child or
• Abridged birth certificate together
with a Confirmation of Birth
• Original ID or Passport of parent
• Drivers license with birth certificate of
parent
• Voters Registration card with birth
certificate of parent
Who is a legal guardian?
• The biological parents of a child are
his/her natural guardians. The court
will appoint a guardian if the biological
parents die without having a will that
unable to take care of the child.
• A guardian can be any person who has
genuine interest in the wellbeing of a
child, and who wants and qualifies to
be appointed as the guardian of the
child by the court.
How do you obtain legal
guardianship?
Where the guardian of a child dies, and
there is no provision in a will or other
testamentary disposition naming a
guardian for the child, a guardian can be
registered for the child.
Any person who has a genuine interest
in a child, whether or not related to the
child, and who wants to be appointed as
a guardian of the child, must apply for
guardianship.
The CS10 application forms can be
obtained at the office of any Social Worker
from the Ministry of Gender Equality and
Child Welfare or from any GIPF office or
migistrate court.
The application form must be accompanied
by, a full birth certificate of the child;
an abridged birth certificate and a
confirmation of birth if the full birth
certificate is unavailable; identification
document or birth certificate of the
guardian and death certificate of the
parent.
Upon completion, the form must be
submitted with the accompanying
documents to the Clerk of the Children’s
Court, who refers it to the Commissioner
of Child Welfare.
Role of the Guardian
The Guardian is the person responsible for
making important legal decisions on behalf
of a minor.
A guardian should be guided by the
principle of the best interest of the child,
which means considering the child before
decisions affecting his/her life are made.
The Courts are the upper guardians of all
minor children and if the need arises, they
have overall authority in determining the
welfare of the minor child.
The guardian is responsible for providing
the minor with shelter and housing, food,
healthcare, clothing, education etc.
What can be done when a guardian is
not executing his/her duties in the best
interest of a minor?
Some legal guardians abuse the children’s
benefits by using the money for their own
interests.
Sometimes no investment (in forms of
banking savings, insurance policies for
study) have been made for the child’s
future which is a sign of a guardian not
having the child’s future interest at heart.
Should there be a report of
mismanagement, the court will request
for an investigation to be conducted
by a Social worker to determine the
circumstances regarding the complaint.
Based on the findings of this investigation,
the court will then decide on the guardianship
status of the concerned child. All this must
be reported to GIPF while the investigation
is being launched. If need be the pension
will be suspended.
All legal guardians/custodians or
foster parents can obtain the following
information from GIPF:
• Up to date income statements
• Information about changes/
amendments in processes or
requirements
• Reason why payment has been
stopped
GIPF Social Services Consultants
GIPF has Social Service Consultants
who deal specifically with claim based
problems. They can help with:
• Providing support and guidance
regarding social circumstances.
• Investigating reported cases about the
mismanagement of minor children’s
funds.
• Investigating circumstances or the
guardianship status of minor children
who are beneficiaries.
• Investigating marital statuses of
deceased members or the level of
dependency of members’ prospective
beneficiaries, especially where family
conflict arises.
• Tracing beneficiaries whereabouts.
• Investigating cases for resubmission –
Additional Dependents.
How to lay complaints against Guardians
Any person with an interest in the child’s
well-being can make a complaint in the
child’s best interest.
What process do you follow to lay a
complaint?
Complete form C511 which is obtainable
from any GIPF office countrywide and
submit the completed form to a court.
 Active Members
“ GIPF active members are employees of the Government
of Namibia or employees of participating institutions.
“
A GIPF member contributes money to the Fund and
membership is a condition of service. When a member
exits the Fund e.g when he/she retires, dies or resigns,
his/her membership lapses.
GIPF Active Members
GIPF active members are employees of the
Government of Namibia or employees of
participating institutions. A GIPF member
contributes money to the Fund and
membership is a condition of service. When
a member exits the Fund e.g when he/she
retires, dies, or resigns, his/her membership
lapses.
How do I become a member of GIPF?
Membership to the GIPF is part of the
conditions of service for civil servants and
employees of participating institutions. To be
admitted to the Fund, a membership admission
form must be completed on behalf of the
employee by his/her Human Resources (HR)
Officer. Please make sure that the personal
details you are providing are accurate and
up to date. You will be required to provide
certified copies of personal documents
and those of your dependents e.g. identity
documents, marriage certificate, birth
certificates etc.
How much do I contribute to the GIPF?
Once you become a GIPF member, you will
contribute 7% of your monthly basic salary and
your employer will pay an additional 16%. This
monthly contribution is deducted directly from
your salary and appears on your payslip.
What is a beneficiary nomination form?
A beneficiary nomination form is used to assist
Trustees to distribute your benefits in terms
of the GIPF Rules to your dependents should
you die while in service. Upon joining the Fund,
your Human Resources Officer will request you
to fill in a beneficiary nomination. On this form,
you will be requested to indicate who your
dependents and nominees are. A dependent
is a person whom you are legally liable to
maintain for example, your wife and minor
children. In addition, you can also nominate
any other person such as your parents to
be considered to benefit from your pension
benefits.
The beneficiary nomination form requires
you to fill in full names, dates of birth, the
correct residential address and your specific
relationship to the beneficiaries and nominees
e.g. biological son, nephew, niece, wife etc.
You will also have to indicate how much in
percentages each person should receive.
This form is not a will and the benefits will not
necessarily be distributed in accordance to
what you stated on the form. Death benefits
are distributed by Trustees in terms of the
provisions of section 37 of the Pension Fund
Act and the beneficiary nomination form
is there to assist the Trustees to know the
composition of your family.
How much is my pension worth?
Should you want to know how much you
will receive as pension benefits, the Human
Resources Officer can help you get a
benefit quotation from GIPF which contains
information on the amounts of each of your
benefits. In addition, the Human Resources
Officer distributes this information to all
members once every year. Please verify your
personal details on the benefit quotation or
benefit statement that you receive from the
Fund as these dates and salaries ultimately
determine the value of your benefits.
GIPF pension benefits
What are normal pension benefits?
When a member goes on normal retirement,
he/she receives a lump sum of one third of
the total pension tax free. In addition, he/
she receives a taxable monthly income for life.
The calculation of the benefits are determined
through a formula that takes in consideration
the final salary, a percentage of the member’s
salary and the number of years the member
contributed to the Fund.
When do members qualify for early retirement
benefits?
The employee must be 55 years but younger
than 60 to go on early retirement. (The
member must however get permission from
the employer to go on early retirement).
What are early retirement benefits?
The early retirement benefits are calculated
in the same way as normal retirement
benefits but the pension amount is reduced
for every month the employee falls short
in contributions to normal retiring age. The
pension to be received shall be reduced
by 0.25% for every month by which the
pensionable service is terminated before the
normal retirement age.
What are ill-health benefits?
The members qualify for ill-health retirement
benefits if they suffer from continuous
illnesses such as uncontrolled diabetes,
persistent lower back pains etc. The services
of such members are terminated, they retire
and become pensioners.
To qualify for this benefit the employee has
to be assessed by the Medical Board whose
members will make recommendations to the
Public Service Commission about the condition
of the employee.
What are resignation benefits?
When the employee resigns/is dismissed from
service, he/she would get his/her accrued
benefit based on age, salary and service
period. He/she has the following options:
• Take the benefit in cash (the benefit will be
taxed)
• Transfer the benefit to the new employer’s
pension fund
• Transfer the benefit to an approved
retirement annuity
• Transfer the benefit to an approved
preservation fund, or
• Keep the benefit within the GIPF if he/she
has been a member of GIPF for an
uninterrupted minimum period of 10 years.
What are retrenchment benefits?
A GIPF member may leave service before the
normal retirement date due to retrenchment
by the employer. Retrenched members are
entitled to a service bonus that is paid by the
employer. The benefits are calculated in the
same manner as normal retirement benefits
plus the shortest of the following periods:
• 1/3 of service period of the employee
• The difference between real date and
actual date of retirement and
• A period of 5 years.
When do members qualify for disability
benefits?
The members who qualify for disability benefits
are those who suffer from traumatic bodily
injuries, cancer, stroke etc. A report from the
Medical Board would be required to confirm
the condition of the member.
Although the services of such employees
are terminated, they remain full members of
the Fund, they contribute to the Fund and
qualify for death and funeral benefits like any
civil service employee.
How much do they receive as benefits?
They receive a disability income equal to 75%
of the latest salary of the employee.
What are death benefits?
In the event that a member dies while in
service, the GIPF pays a tax-free lump sum
of 2x the annual salary of the deceased
employee. The qualifying spouse would receive
a pension which is equal to 40% of the annual
salary for life and children (maximum 3) will
receive a monthly income for up to a maximum
of 30% of the annual salary for the number of
children.
If the member did not leave dependents, the
total pension benefit is paid as a lump sum in
the estate account.
What are funeral benefits?
Active members including those receiving
disability benefits plus Pensioners qualify for
funeral benefits payable as follows:
Deceased Amount
Member before retirement N$8000
Member after retirement N$8000
Spouse of a member N$8000
Member’s child (above one year) N$3000
Member’s child (below one year) N$1000
Member’s still born child N$1000
General Information
Make sure you are registered as a GIPF
member by verifying information at your
Human Resources Office.
Make sure your information on your file is up
to date and accurate such as:
Your beneficiaries are updated on your
beneficiary nomination form annually.
Updated marital status, certified copies
of your documents and those of your
family members such as birth certificates,
marriage certificate, identity documents
Regional offices
Katima Mulilo

Ondangwa
Oshakati
Rundu

Otjiwarongo

Windhoek Gobabis
Swakopmund

Keetmanshoop

The GIPF has regional offices in Windhoek, GIPF Regional Offices Contact Numbers
Otjiwarongo, Ondangwa, Oshakati, Katima
Mulilo, Gobabis, Swakopmund, Keetmanshoop Windhoek 061 – 2051000
and Rundu that were established to bring Ondangwa 065 – 241381/2
services nearer to our members. Swakopmund 064 – 461735
Katima Mulilo 066 – 254589/254223
The regional offices are connected to our Otjiwarongo 067 – 307078/9
administration system (GIMIS) that facilitates Gobabis 062 – 564098
the coordination and exchange of member Rundu 066 – 256820/1
information. Keetmanshoop 063 – 226021
Oshakati 065 – 220587/42