Complaint Title: Unclaimed benefit Delay – Elderly Widow Left Waiting Since April 2025

Item: National Bargaining Council Electrical Industry
Rating: 1
Author: Johanet V

Complaint Title: Unclaimed benefit Delay – Elderly Widow Left Waiting Since April 2025 Complaint: I am appalled by the way my late father’s unclaimed benefit claim has been handled. We submitted all required documentation on 9 April 2025, and aside from the tax number (submitted on 2 September 2025), everything was provided months ago. Yet, the claim has been left “under review” with no clear communication or progress. Now, almost five months later, we are suddenly told to provide a certified copy of my late father’s birth certificate – something never listed in your official requirements, never mentioned in the claim pack, and never requested in any of your emails or WhatsApp messages. A certified ID was already submitted and accepted. Why is this being added at such a late stage, causing further delays? To make matters worse, the affidavits submitted by myself, my mother, and my sister all contain the identical information you required. The only difference is formatting, based on the police officers who assisted us. If there was a problem with my sister’s affidavit, why was this not communicated since April? My father passed away in 1998. His parents and siblings are long deceased, and my mother was his sole dependent and heir. She is now an elderly widow who can use this benefit to make her life a bit easier, and this endless back-and-forth is causing her severe emotional and financial stress. We have cooperated fully and in good faith, yet the process has become unnecessarily complicated, inconsistent, and drawn out. At this point, all we are asking for is: • A clear explanation of why the claim has been stalled “under review” for nearly 5 months, • An explanation for the sudden demand for a birth certificate never before requested, and • Immediate confirmation of the final outstanding items so this matter can finally be resolved. This situation is unfair, distressing, and unacceptable – especially for an elderly widow who deserves closure and dignity. I urge management to step in, resolve this matter urgently within 3 working days, and provide transparent communication to prevent further unnecessary suffering.

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Replies (2)

Johanet V's updateReviewer Update

24 Sept 2025, 20:42

Poor service delivery I have encountered in dealing with Emilia Maddalin-Chiaffoi.

It is my opinion that since no proper quality checks were conducted on this matter from April 2025 until now, the delays are being shifted onto us rather than acknowledged as a failure in service delivery and accountability on her part.

My concerns are as follows:

Ignored Communication – Emails are not being responded to except for “acknowledge your email and the case is under review”, since April 2025.
Lack of Feedback – Requested information and progress updates are not provided.
Unnecessary Delays – Case are being delayed for reasons that appear to be administrative oversights rather than substantive issues.

This situation is not only causing frustration but is also undermining confidence in the Council’s ability to resolve matters efficiently. Specifically, my late father passed away in 1998. My mother, who is 77 years old, sickly, and struggles with mobility, has been repeatedly asked for documents and information that are either irrelevant or had already been provided. For example:

She was asked to submit my late father’s birth certificate, even though he would have been 84 years old now and birth certificates from that era do not contain ID numbers. Requesting this to verify an ID number is unreasonable.
My father retained the blue ID book when South Africans transitioned to the green ID book. At that time, the last three digits of ID numbers were automatically changed by Home Affairs’ system, which explains why his ID and death certificate numbers differ. Anyone with knowledge of the ID system would understand that the date of birth and unique sequence digits confirm identity, not the last three digits. Despite this, my mother was forced to go to Home Affairs to obtain a letter confirming the ID belonged to my late father, which was an unnecessary burden on her.

Furthermore, affidavits provided by my mother, my sister, and myself all contained the same family structure information (albeit in slightly different formats). Instead of consolidating this information, my sister’s documents were repeatedly requested even though it was submitted with the rest of the documents of which I have proof. I requested Emilia to explain if there is something wrong with my sister’s affidavit but since I have been ignored on several of my emails and my sister came to take my mother to Home Affairs we went and redo documents simply to pre-empt further objections.

Johanet V's update24 Sept 2025, 20:42

Reviewer Update

Ignored Communication – Emails are not being responded to except for “acknowledge your email and the case is under review”, since April 2025.
Lack of Feedback – Requested information and progress updates are not provided.
Unnecessary Delays – Case are being delayed for reasons that appear to be administrative oversights rather than substantive issues.

She was asked to submit my late father’s birth certificate, even though he would have been 84 years old now and birth certificates from that era do not contain ID numbers. Requesting this to verify an ID number is unreasonable.
My father retained the blue ID book when South Africans transitioned to the green ID book. At that time, the last three digits of ID numbers were automatically changed by Home Affairs’ system, which explains why his ID and death certificate numbers differ. Anyone with knowledge of the ID system would understand that the date of birth and unique sequence digits confirm identity, not the last three digits. Despite this, my mother was forced to go to Home Affairs to obtain a letter confirming the ID belonged to my late father, which was an unnecessary burden on her.

Johanet V's updateReviewer Update

08 Oct 2025, 20:00

Title: Appreciation to Principal Officer, Claudette Nel – for her empathy and genuine effort After months of ongoing delays and frustration in trying to resolve my late father’s pension benefit, I want to take a moment to acknowledge the understanding and compassion shown by Claudette Nel, the Principal Officer. While we are still waiting for the benefits to be finalised, I can see that Claudette has made a sincere effort to listen, to understand the personal impact of this situation, and to take action where possible. She treated me with respect, empathy, and humanity — something that has been sorely missing from much of this process. It is rare to find someone in a position of authority who actually takes the time to look deeper into a matter and to communicate with honesty and care. I truly appreciate her professionalism and willingness to question procedures that cause unnecessary hardship to beneficiaries. Thank you, Claudette — your attitude has restored some faith in the process, even while we wait for final resolution.

Johanet V's update08 Oct 2025, 20:00

Reviewer Update