The Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) has announced a new requirement for pensioners to renew their Pensioner Certificates annually, starting April 2026. The move is aimed at safeguarding the integrity of the pension scheme and ensuring retirees continue to receive quality benefits.

Under the revised framework, all pensioners—whether retiring at the compulsory age of 60 or voluntarily at 55—must renew their Pensioner Certificate each year during their birth month to maintain uninterrupted pension payments.

“Instructively, once an individual retires, whether at the compulsory retirement age of 60 or the voluntary age of 55, the pensioner must renew their Pensioner Certificate every year during their birth month to guarantee continuous payment of their pensions,” SSNIT stated.

To make the process convenient, SSNIT has introduced multiple renewal channels. Starting April 2026, pensioners can renew their certificates via the SSNIT Mobile App using facial verification, through the SSNIT Virtual Branch, at partner banks, or at any SSNIT branch nationwide.

Pensioners can also call the SSNIT Contact Centre or schedule a home visit for certificate renewal. SSNIT will send reminders at least one month before the pensioner’s birth month through SMS, email, or other approved communication channels.

The initiative is part of SSNIT’s broader efforts to eliminate invalid pension payments while enhancing transparency and accountability across the system.