You may retire early after turning 55 years old. Your pension would be calculated through a pension formula, and then reduced by the penalty factor of 3.9% per year for each year before age 63 years.
 

You may retire at any age because of ill health, provided that the Board of Trustees approves a recommendation by EPPF’s Medical Panel.
Your benefit is calculated based on your pensionable salary and pensionable service accrued up to the actual retirement date, plus 75% of the service that you would have been completed from that date to the pensionable age.

• Log into your profile to download the Beneficiary Nomination Form. Please make sure that you complete the Beneficiary Nomination Form in detail.
• Submit the signed form to us by email, post or hand deliver it to any of our offices. Click here for all locations and contact details.
• We recommend that you send posted forms via registered post so we can track your form.
• Contact our Call Centre to confirm receipt and capturing of your nomination form.

Once every three years, pensioners must confirm that they are alive and can still receive their pension benefit. This is done by completing an Evidence of Survival (EOS) Form. How do I submit my EOS?
Your EOS can be submitted using one of the following options: 

1. EOS through USSD
USSD allows you to submit your EOS through your mobile phone, so you don’t have to fill in any forms, visit a police station or worry about how long it will take to reach us.

• Dial *134*20072# from your mobile phone and follow the prompts
• You must provide a response on the screen within 30 seconds or your session will
  automatically end for security purposes.. If your session ends automatically ends, you will
  need to start over.
• Once complete, you’ll receive a notification of your successful submission.

For more guidance, read the full EOS USSD Guide here: EOS USSD Guide

2. EOS through the Member Portal

You can also submit Evidence of Survival through the member portal on our website. Follow this guide: EOS e-form Guide

To upload scanned copies of your EOS form on the member portal, follow the guidelines by clicking here. Documents must be less than 5MB and in PDF.

3. Physical Evidence of Survival (EOS) Form

The option of physical Evidence of Survival (EOS) is still available.

1. If you don’t have a mobile phone or access to the Member Portal on the EPPF website, please read, complete and print the EOS form.
2. Once completed and printed, the EOS form must be stamped and certified by a Commissioner of Oaths, who can be found at magistrates’ offices, attorneys’ offices, banks, post offices and police stations.
   Alternatively, Affirming Authority stamps can be used. You can get these from: 
   • Lawyers or notary public who are members of a recognised professional body 
   • Actuaries or accountants who are members of a recognised professional body 
   • Members of the judiciary 
   • Directors, managers or company secretaries of a bank or regulated financial services business.
3. When you get your EOS form certified, please take your identity document or passport with you. Make sure to sign to sign both forms before you send them to us. To return the forms to the Fund, email a copy of the form to webupdate@eppf.co.za.

What happens if I don't submit my EOS form?

If you do not send your EOS by the payroll closing date, the payment of your pension will be suspended until EPPF receives your form. The implications of not submitting on time can be far-reaching. Apart from not receiving your pension, certain third-party deductions, like medical aid payments, may not be processed.

Are widows, widowers and guardians with minor children required to submit an EOS?

Yes. Widows, widowers and guardians with minor children in receipt of a pension, as well as disabled children in receipt of a lifelong pension, is required to submit an EOS. The following should be noted:

• Each widow or widower and child in the household who receives a pension must submit their EOS through one of the channels, and
• In the case of a minor child or a disabled child, the guardian must submit an EOS on behalf of the minor or disabled child.

How to have your pension reinstated if it is suspended at the end of the EOS closing date if you are based outside South Africa.

Request an Evidence of Survival form from the EPPF or log in to your profile to download a form. Submit the original, certified form either by hand or by post.

Once the form reaches our offices, the reinstatement and payment process take about two weeks from receipt of the form.

South African based pensioners no longer need to submit EOS forms every year but will be verified through the Department of Home Affairs.

Your spouse’s pension is payable for the duration of your lifetime, regardless of whether you remarry or not.

Depending on the investment performance of the Fund, the Board of Trustees may declare a bonus which is payable in December of that year. Pensioners are told in December of each year whether a bonus is payable.

Your tax deduction may fluctuate for the following reasons:

• If there is a bonus paid in December your tax deduction will be different from other months
• If there is a pension increase in January, there will be a difference in tax payable
• If your medical aid contributions increased in February, the taxable income decreases.
  Previously, pensioners aged 65 years and older used to get a full medical aid rebate. This is no longer the case. Since the new tax year begins in March, our payroll system annualises tax based on the latest tax earnings and the last year’s tax tables 

Our pension payroll runs in advance, on the 1st of each month. This means that tax tables for the new tax year are always implemented in the April payroll. However, the new tax tables are implemented retrospectively to the March payroll according to tax changes announced in the budget speech. This means that your tax in the April will include the March payroll deduction adjustments. Your tax should then stabilise from the May payroll onwards.

Yes, you must still submit your returns as confirmation of the information submitted by the employer on your behalf. In your instance, EPPF represents the employer as the provider of a monthly income.

To change your banking details when you relocate to another country, you must submit the following to us:

• An original, certified copy of your identity document or passport
• An original, completed, International Banking Form. The form must be completed by the bank to which you want to transfer your benefit, or by your foreign exchange service provider
• Click here to log into your profile and download the International Banking Form
• Remember to also inform us of your change in address. Click here to contact us and update your address and other contact information.