What is National Social Security Fund (NSSF)?

The National Social Security Fund is a friendly service organization that exists for the public good. It offers social protection to all workers in Tanzania, in the private sector. According to Section 6 of the NSSF Act, the following categories of employers and employees are registrable by the Fund. These categories include the following;

  • Private Sector which includes: –
  • Companies
  • Non-governmental organizations
  • Religious organizations

NSSF register members, receive their contributions, manage funds of the scheme, process, and ultimately pay out benefits to eligible members or dependents.

Contribution

Every registered employer is required to remit to the Fund 20% of the employees’ WAGE as joint contribution between the employer and employee. The rate of employee’s share should not exceed 10% of his monthly wage under the following arrangement: 10% employer/10% employee, or 15% employer / 5% employee. However, the employer may opt to remit the whole 20% without deducting from employees’ wage.

List of NSSF Benefits Offered:

The member or claimant must apply for benefits/grants by submitting the corresponding applications. All the application forms are available online to download and it must be presented for processing at the branch offices.

Age/Retirement Benefit

The main objective of the retirement Pension is to guarantee income security to the elderly members by providing periodic payments

Eligibility:

    • Has attained pensionable age
    • In respect of whom not less than 180 monthly contributions
    • have been paid and
    • Who has attained the age of 55 or above but before attaining
    • pensionable age

The ILO Social Security Convention No. 102 of 1952 ( Minimum standards Convention) stipulate special concession for older members of the “Provident Fund” [NPF] who had less than 15 years to retirement age at the commencement of the scheme i.e. on 1.7.1998 to obtain pension benefits for shorter qualifying periods; the persons referred to as “Late Age Entrants”

Benefit payable:

    • Commuted pension (Initial Lump sum) paid immediately before starting pension which is equal to 25% of calculated annual pension times 12.5
    • Old age special lump sum for non qualifying members i.e total contributions plus interest
    • Minimum Pension is 40% of the lowest Sartorial Statutory Minimum Wage
    • Maximum Pension is 72.5% of the Annual Pensionable Emoluments.

Survivor’s Pension

Survivor’s benefits are payable to dependants of a deceased NSSF member. The benefit is intended to compensate for the loss of economic support previously provided by an insured person who has died. Survivors’ benefit “Dependant” is defined as spouse, any child under the age of 18 or 21 if attending full-time education; and where there is no dependant spouse or child – parents of the deceased.

Eligibility:

Survivor’s pension is payable to the dependants if, at the time of death, the Insured Person: –

      • Had attained pensionable age and would have been entitled to retirement pension had he made a claim for such pension.
      • Would have been entitled to an invalidity pension if deemed to have been suffering from permanent invalidity at the time of death.

Benefit Payable:

      • Survivor pension shall be determined the same as that of retirement pension
      • The amount of pension payable shall be distributed to spouse (40%) and children (60%) or parents (100%), in case there are no spouses and children.
      • Where an insured person qualifies for retirement pension or invalidity pension he/she shall be entitled to commuted pension (initial lump sum) payment and Monthly Pension.
      • Where an insured person dies while receiving retirement or Invalidity pension the survivors shall be entitled to a death grant equal to the Monthly Pension times 36.

Invalidity Pension

The aim of invalidity pension is to guarantee income security to the insured person who has permanently lost his earning capacity, resulting from accident or illness.

Eligibility:
An invalidity pension shall be payable to an Insured Person who

      • Is suffering from permanent invalidity;
      • Is under Pensionable age;

Either-

      • has made 180 contributions; or
      • at least 36 monthly contributions have been paid in respect of him of which twelve or more were paid in the period of 36 months immediately preceding the date of commencement of invalidity.

Benefit payable

      • The benefits payable shall be determined the same as that of retirement pension except that minimum required credits is 36.
      • The Qualifying members shall be entitled to both Commuted Pension (Lump sum) and Monthly Pension.

Unemployment Benefit

Unemployment benefit is paid to an insured person who is below fifty five (55) years old and ceased to be employed.

Eligibility:

        • The member has contributed to the Fund for a period not less than eighteen months
        • The member must be terminated or ceased to be employed in the circumstance other than resignation
        • The member must be a citizen of the United Republic of Tanzania
        • The member does not qualify for pension, gratuity or any other long – term benefits payable under NSSF Act
        • The member must proof to the Director general that he has not secured another employment
        • The member is below fifty five years old

Benefit Payable:

        • An insured person who has contributed to the Fund for at least eighteen months (18) shall be paidMonthly payment at rate of 33.3 % (per centum) of his salary/wages earned during the time of cessation from employment.
        • An insured person who contributed to the Fund less than eighteen months (18) shall be paidfifty per centum of the total contribution.

If member has not secured another employment, within eighteen months after the date of expiration of the period of receiving unemployment benefit, he may apply to the Director General to convert his contribution into supplementary scheme of his choice.

Social Health Insurance

These benefits are provided to a member and his / her dependents who are husband / wife and no more than four children under the age of 18 or 21 if they are in school.

Eligibility:

          • The member should have contributed at least three consecutive months to the nearest health facility
          • 6% pension deduction for retirees who wish to receive medical care after retirement

Limits in Medical Benefits:

          • 42 days hospitalization per year for family
          • Emergency treatment outside the registered facility / hospital registered member travels no more than four times a year to an outpatient patient and not more than 48 hours twice a year for inpatient patients.

Termination of medical services:

Medical services in this program may be suspended immediately due to the following factors:

          • Death of a member
          • Termination or termination of employment or termination of employment contract
          • Voluntary retirement at the age of 55 to 59 years or compulsory retirement at the age of 60 years
          • Non-submission of contributions for more than three consecutive months
          • Reaching the age of 18 or 21 for children

Maternity Benefits

The purpose of maternity benefit is to ensure that a female Insured Person is able to sustain and care for herself and the newly born child during a specified period before and after confinement.

Eligibility:

Maternity benefits shall be paid to the female insured person who has met the following conditions:-

          • The Insured Person has made at least 36 monthly contributions to the Fund, of which 12 monthly contributions must have been made in the 36 months prior to the expected week of confinement. and
          • Upon the receipt by the Director General of the medical certificate from an accredited medical provider, certifying that the woman expects delivery of a child;
          • After three years from the day when the last payment was made to the insured person unless the child dies within a period of twelve months; and
          • To an insured person, for one month only, in the case of still birth Proof that the Insured Person has delivered a child as certified by medical doctor.
          • The claim must be lodged within 84 days from the date of confirnment

Benefit Payable:

There are two types of benefits that Insured Persons are entitled to under this benefit category, namely cash benefit and medical benefit.

          • For cash benefit claims payments shall be made in two installments, as follows
          • 1st Installment – This payment is payable on 39th week of pregnancy before confirnment date.
          • Maternity cash benefit is payable for a period of twelve (12) weeks at the rate of 100% of Average Insurable Daily Earnings (AIDE) determinedfrom the last six months of insurable employment immediately prior to the 20th week of pregnancy

Funeral Grant

Funeral Grant is paid as a reimbursement to a family member who has incurred the burial expenses (costs) of the deceased NSSF Insured Person.

Eligibility:

          • The deceased must be an active Insured Person,
          • The deceased Member must have made at least one contribution to the Fund.
          • Burial Expenses must have been incurred for the Insured Person.
          • The claim must be made within 60 days from the date of death.

Note: For the purpose of Funeral Grant “active Insured Person” implies a member who has contributed within twelve months before death.

Burial Expenses:

Burial expenses will include expenses in respect of:

          • Coffin for the burial/coffin used to transport the body
          • Grave preparation expenses
          • Shroud (sanda)
          • Wood (ubao)
          • Fire wood & cheese
          • Reasonable transport costs to the cemetery within the locality
          • Preservation costs.

Benefits Payable:

Reimbursement in respect of funeral costs shall be on the basis of actual costs incurred but shall not exceed the ceiling set by the Board of Trustees from time to time.

The currently applicable rates are as follows:

Rate of Contributions per Month Grant ceiling amount
Below Tshs. 30,000 T.shs 150,000
30,001 – 80,000 T.shs 300,000
80,001 – 160,000 T.shs 400,000
160,001 – 240,000 T.shs 500,000
Above 240,000 T.shs 600,000

After payment of funeral grant the member is also entitled to the survivor benefit as explained above.

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