Life verification of a pensioner

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In October 2011, the GPAA successfully introduced the Automatic Life Verification (ALV) process. The ALV eliminated the issuing of Life Certificates for the majority of GEPF pensioners.

The ALV process validates a pensioner’s life status in conjunction with the South African Department of Home Affairs (DoHA). Pensioners who are in possession of a valid South African identity document and who also live in South Africa on a full time basis will not receive a Life Certificate from GEPF.

This means that these pensioners are not required to physically visit a Commissioner of Oaths to confirm their life status in order to continue receiving their monthly annuity.

Pensioners living outside of South Africa, as well as those whose status cannot be verified with the Department of Home Affairs, will receive a paper-based Life Verification form which still needs to be completed and certified by a Commissioner of Oaths or similar representative. All pensioners or annuitants receiving the Life Verification form will only receive one form per annum, regardless of the number of benefits they receive.

For those who receive Life Verification forms, the process is very important because it protects GEPF and members from fraud. It does this by proving that pensions are being paid to the right people. The Life Verification forms help keep track of pensioners overseas and ensure that pensions are paid to living people.

To complete the annual Life Verification process, a member needs to do the following:

Fill in the certificate and make sure that all personal details are correct.
Have the certificate signed and stamped by a Commissioner of Oaths. A Commissioner of Oaths can be a magistrate, a postmaster, a bank manager, a lawyer, a police officer, a priest or a social worker, if they are registered. Usually the most convenient Commissioner of Oaths is at your nearest police station, which will always have such a person on duty.
Attach a certified copy of your identity document to the form. This copy should not be more than six months old.
Post the certificate to the GEPF or hand it in at the nearest GEPF Regional Office.

The GEPF must receive the original document and cannot accept faxes or photocopies.If a member has provideda cell phone number, an SMS will be sent to confirm the successful reinstatement of the certificate.

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Breach Notification

NOTIFICATION OF SECURITY COMPROMISE AS PER SECTION 22 OF THE PROTECTION OF PERSONAL INFORMATION ACT, 4 OF 2013 ("POPIA")

The GEPF experienced a security breach and the compromise of personal information held on the GPAA systems and records between February and March 2024. Data subjects were notified of the security breach and potential compromise of personal information on 20 March 2024.

The GPAA immediately shut down all its systems and initiated its Cyber Incident and Response Plan to mitigate the damage at the time of the security compromise. As a result, the compromise of personal information was isolated and curtailed. The GPAA initiated an investigation into the cause and extent of the security breach and committed to providing updates/outcomes of the investigation as soon as practically possible.

Although the investigation is still ongoing, the assessment recently revealed a compromise of personal information of a number of data subjects. The extent of the compromise of personal information is still being investigated and will be communicated on the conclusion of the investigation.

The GPAA has put various additional control measures in place to strengthen the security safeguards on its systems since the incident. The GPAA is working with security agencies to strengthen control measures and avoid future reoccurrences.

The GEPF and GPAA recognises the importance of safeguarding personal information and is working actively to prevent any recurrence of security compromises on the GEPF and GPAA systems.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused and assure you that every reasonable step has been taken to ensure that all GPAA systems and platforms are safe and protected from unauthorised and unlawful access.

The security compromise was reported to the relevant authorities, entities and regulators for further investigations, support and transparency.