PTAD: Unverified Pensioners to Lose Benefits, Health Insurance

James Emejo in Abuja

The Executive Secretary, Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), Dr. Chioma Ejikeme, has warned that going forward, pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS) would be delisted from the payroll and denied health insurance benefits unless they are registered and verified on the directorate’s “I Am Alive Confirmation (IAAC)” platform.  

The IAAC is an online application designed to enable pensioners under the DBS easily confirm their aliveness from the comfort of their homes or neighbourhood, using either a smartphone or a computer system.

Speaking during the full rollout of the innovative solution following a successful pilot exercise, the PTAD boss said the government was working to tie the I am alive project to health insurance adding that the former would soon become a ticket to health insurance and continuous pension benefit.

Ejikeme also said hinted that the government was considering diasporas pensions for Nigerians living abroad.

She however said data was critical for planning and insisting government must know where such pensioners are located.

Warning that the window for verification would soon be shut, she encouraged all eligible pensions under the programme to proceed forward and make their details available for continuous access to their benefits.

Following the launch of the IAAC in 2021, PTAD began with the pilot phase, where the application was tested with 50,000 randomly-selected pensioners across the four operational departments and six geo-political zones.

The aim was to test its efficacy and user-friendliness, bearing in mind that this novel initiative is meant for our senior citizens.

Ejikeme said the journey to test and provide the solution had taken PTAD over 18 months.

She said, “We are proud of our efforts and are hopeful that the solution will have a positive impact on our DBS pensioners as well as PTAD and the Government in general.

“The pilot phase was largely successful, the teething challenges have been identified and resolved, and PTAD is ready to fully roll out the I Am Alive Confirmation (IAAC) solution to our pensioners. This we believe is the way forward as far as validation of the aliveness of our pensioners is concerned.”

She said, “It is important to let our pensioners know that nobody can tamper with your pension payment through the “I Am Alive” platform. If somebody with a smartphone or computer system in your neighbourhood helps you to confirm your aliveness, the person cannot steal your money.

“All we need is a confirmation that you are still alive and eligible to continue to receive your pension. We wish to use this opportunity to assure our esteemed pensioners that the “I Am Alive” confirmation solution has been designed with their utmost welfare in mind leveraging accuracy, reliability, user-friendliness, and convenience.

“PTAD has over the years promised that the era of bringing out our aged pensioners for field verification is over, and we are standing by this promise.”