Pension Fund Withdrawal Claim

I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with the handling of my pension fund withdrawal claim and the lack of communication from your company.

I left my employer on 31 October 2024, and my pension fund withdrawal claim was submitted on 5 December 2024. When I called to follow up on 12 December, I was informed that it takes 30 working days from receipt of the documents to process the claim.

Since then, my experience has been deeply frustrating. Despite your stated turnaround time:

I have spent hours trying to reach someone via phone, often with no response. The WhatsApp support feature is equally inefficient, with agents responding only after long delays and not allowing for meaningful interaction or follow-up questions. On 13 December, I followed up via WhatsApp, and Tsholofelo confirmed that the claim should be finalized within 30 working days of receiving the documents. Given that everything was submitted by 5 December, today marks 26 working days without any update or resolution. On Monday, following a complaint I submitted via Twitter, I received a call from someone who assured me they would follow up. However, I have yet to receive any feedback or clarity on the status of my claim.

This lack of communication and delay in processing is unacceptable. As a client, I should not have to endure such poor service, especially when dealing with funds that I urgently need. If I didn’t need this money, I wouldn’t have initiated the withdrawal in the first place.

This is not the first time I’ve encountered such inefficiency with Sanlam Corporate. In 2021, it took weeks for payouts following the passing of family members. The recurring delays and lack of accountability indicate a serious issue in your service delivery.

I request an immediate update on the status of my claim and a clear explanation for the delay. Additionally, I urge you to improve your communication channels and processing times to better serve your clients.