Question NW1201 to the Minister of Police
23 May 2016 - NW1201
Redelinghuys, Mr MH to ask the Minister of Police
(1)Whether a certain person (name and details furnished) has been declared medically unfit; if so, (a) when and (b) what are the further relevant details; (2) whether the specified person’s pension has been paid out; if not, (a) why not and (b) when is this expected to be finalised; (3) whether the specified person’s (a) medical aid and (b) pension benefits were suspended at any stage (i) during and/or (ii) after employment by the SA Police Service; if so, (aa) why and (bb) what are the further relevant details; (4) who is responsible for processing the specified person’s pension pay-out; (5) whether any case of negligence is being investigated with regard to the non-payment of the specified person’s pension pay-out; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
(1)(a) Yes, on 31 March 2015.
(1)(b) On grounds of medical conditions. The member was informed in writing to submit a full set of the correctly completed exit documents to the South African Police Service.
(2)(a) No. The member’s exit documents are still at the Government Pension Administration Agency (GPAA) for further processing of pension payout.
(2)(b) According to the rules of the pension fund, pension monies will be paid out within 60 days from the date after the day on which GPAA received exit documents from SAPS (11 March 2016). Expected finalization/payment date is before or on 8 June 2016.
(3)(a) No. According to Polmed records, the member still has medical aid cover, and her medical aid benefits were never suspended at any stage.
(b)(i)&(ii) The member’s pension benefits were suspended during the period 1 April 2007 until 30 September 2007.
(aa)&(bb) The member was on leave without pay for the period 1 April 2007 to 30 September 2007 which emanated from the disapproval of temporary incapacity leave by the Health Risk Manager.
Upon receipt of supporting medical report from the member, SAPS reconsidered the representation and converted the leave without pay for the period 1 April 2007 to 30 September 2007 into temporary incapacity leave.
The member was reimbursed for the period of leave without pay on 24 February 2014. The pension contribution to GPAA was deducted from the reimbursement and paid to GPAA for the said period.
(4) SAPS is responsible for processing Ill-Health Retirement and the Government Pension Administration Agency (GPAA) is responsible for pension payout.
(5) No case of negligence is being investigated.
No negligence was found on the side of SAPS but rather on the side of the member due to the following reasons:
- The member submitted documents of poor quality, e.g. the decree of divorce was certified more than once.
- The member’s lawyer refused to submit the decree of divorce that was duly certified.