SOCIAL SECURITY AND NATIONAL INSURANCE TRUST
Frequently Asked Questions

In a bid to provide superior customer service delivery, SSNIT is implementing a new system to enhance its operations and services. As part of the new system implementation, a new technology known as the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) will be used to verify the identity of members and pensioners. This system stores the biometric information of all members and pensioners in a database for the verification of the identity of any member or pensioner at any SSNIT branch throughout Ghana. In order for SSNIT to achieve this objective, it is necessary to collect the biometric information of all existing members and pensioners as part of the implementation of the new system.

Bio information (biological information) is a range of physical or biological characteristics of a person like facial features (picture), finger prints, signature, eye retina and irises, voice patterns and hand measurements identification for authentication purpose.

Bio-information is required or used for identification, verification and authentication of personal information. It helps to reduce human error in identification and reduces or eliminates the need to transcribe data speeding up information processing or management.

You will have to produce your Social Security number(s) with any one of the following:

  • National Identification Card
  • Voters’ ID
  • Drivers Licence
  • Employer/Employment ID
  • Passport
  • National Health Insurance Card

SSNIT will grant you a short interview after which you will be registered.

Biometric Registration is the collection of bio-information on all members (Active Members, Inactive Members and Pensioners) through the live capturing of their Fingerprints, photographs and live signatures.

The main purpose of the biometric registration is to collect Biometric Information of all existing members and pensioners. It is also to generate thirteen (13) alphanumeric Social Security Numbers (SSNO’s) for existing members with 8 Digit Social Security (SS) numbers.

This is to enable SSNIT to collect biometric information of all existing SSNIT members and pensioners for easy verification.

The scope of the project defines the extent of work to be done and the expected features of the outcome. These are separated into Project Scope (extent) and Product Scope (elements of the outcome).
Project Scope

  • Collecting Biometric Information of all existing members and pensioners.
  • Generating thirteen (13) digits Social Security Numbers for existing members (Pensioners and Workers).
  • Collecting additional Bio-Information on existing members as prescribed by the Biometric Registration Forms.
  • Printing new membership certificate (Smartcards) for members and pensioners.

Product Scope 
A member is deemed to have gone through the Biometric Registration if the following have been achieved;

  • Ten Fingerprints of the members captured into the OBS. Except in cases where the member has lost some fingers or all fingers. This activity is mandatory.
  • Photograph of the member that has been captured into the OBS. This activity is also mandatory.
  • Signature of member that have been captured into the OBS. (Optional)
  • All mandatory Bio-Information of the member as prescribed by the Biometric Registration Forms have been captured into the OBS.
  •  Members have been issued with new membership certificates which is a  Smartcard.

The project is to last for twenty-four months.

No! Phase four will be handled after the third phase of the project has duly been evaluated.

The broad framework and guidelines for the project shall be issued to the Area and Branch Implementation Teams. The teams shall develop their programme ACTION PROGRAMMES of actions which WILL BE dependent on the number of members, active workers on the Controller and Accountant General’s payroll located within the area operation of the Branch & establishments assigned and shall align with the broad framework. The number of SSNIT pensioners to be registered by the various Branches would be determined by the assistance of SSNIT Pensioners’ Associations and the Retired SSNIT Staff Association (RESSA).

T-shirts advertising the BR exercise would be provided to all SSNIT staff to be worn on Mondays and Fridays throughout the duration of the Exercise. Team members involved with the exercise would wear their T-shirt for the entire duration of the exercise.

The current system used to verify the identity of members is by Thumb Print verification. Considering the numbers involved and the time constraint, it might not be convenient to manually verify each existing members before undergoing the Biometric Registration.
To ensure fast and less tedious verification of the members before Biometric Registration, a back office activity would be carried out to further authenticate the ownership of Social Security Numbers (SSNO’s). The verification would be in various levels.

Where a Member / Pensioner intend to make changes to his/her bio data, the existing update procedures will be activated. Membership card would only be printed after the necessary updates have been made. Where a Member /Pensioner demands a proper spelling of his /her name, photocopies/scanned copies of the relevant national identity cards bearing the correctly spelt name would be attached to the Biometric Registration Form (E.g. Ablorh and Ablor or Nimoh or Nimo). The correction would be done before approval for card printing. Members requesting for a change in Date of Birth must go through the existing procedures. All other challenges with respect to the member’s bio-data not identified here must be resolved before the production of the membership card.

SSNIT is appealing to all contributors to cooperate with the biometric registrars and SSNIT officials for a smooth exercise.