THE Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) has extended the deadline for its old age and survivorship pensioners to comply with the Annual Pensioners’ Information Revalidation (Apir) requirement until July 31.
GSIS President and General Manager Jesus Clint O. Aranas said the government pension fund has extended its deadline for the Apir program to give more time to its member-pensioners to comply, and hold off possible pension suspension.
“Apir’s cut-off date was moved to July 31 to give more time to our pensioners to report at the GSIS office nearest them or use the GSIS Wireless Automated Processing System [GWAPS] kiosk to activate their status and prevent their pension from getting suspended,” Aranas said.
Under the Apir program, GSIS old age and survivorship pensioners are required to personally appear to the GSIS office, or reactivate their status through a GSIS kiosk, during their birth month to ensure continuous receipt of their pension.
As of July 10 65 percent of 333,635 pensioners who are required to undergo Apir have already renewed their active status, according to the GSIS.
Aranas stressed that Apir essentially seeks to plug financial leaks caused by overpaid pensions to dead pensioners, and, thus, ensure a healthy and sustainable pension fund for present and future GSIS members and pensioners.
In March this year the GSIS implemented a three-month reactivation period for the Apir from March 23 to June 30, during which, all pensioners aged 79 and below, regardless of birth month, submitted themselves to the information revalidation process and reactivation of status.
Those who are not required to report for Apir are permanent total disability pensioners; pensioners who are at least 80 years old; legal guardians who are not survivorship pensioners of incapacitated or dependent children; and old-age pensioners who are active GSIS members at the same time. Also excluded from Apir are pensioners residing abroad and in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao areas, as they have been continuously subjected to the GSIS’s annual renewal process.
The GSIS had also earlier reported that around P1.6 billion in losses were incurred by the agency from the instances that withdrawal of pension benefits were done by relatives of deceased member-pensioners.
Aranas said that from the period spanning from 2011 to 2017, an estimated P1.6 billion in leakages or pension overpayment from 4,843 individuals was incurred by the GSIS, since the relatives of deceased member-pensioners do not update the status of the member-pensioner to the agency.
The GSIS has pointed out that it targets to tap the 363,000 member-pensioners of the GSIS to register with Apir on March 23 and was able to register 2,879 pensioners as early as March 1 under the program.
Member pensioners who will not be able to report for APIR due to health reasons may request for a home visit.