On 21st March 2003, the PPF Pensions Fund introduced a new benefit known as education benefits. Education benefit is granted to deceased members' children when a member dies while in service. It covers up to four of the deceased member's children from nursery to secondary education level. It intends to meet education costs that will enable continuity of child's education even in the absence of the breadwinner.

 

Prior to the introduction of the education benefits, dependents of the deceased member were paid death benefits and if the deceased member had a contributing period of ten years or more, survivors' benefits were also paid. From the mid-1990s the trend of death benefits was increasing and it became more evident that most of the time the cause of death was HIV/AIDS. It was further noted that, in most cases the children of the deceased members were left stranded with no hope for the future.

 

Therefore, the Fund took note of this anomaly and came up with this new benefit as a way to rescue the undesired situation that the deceased members' children were facing.