The Director-General of Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), Kwasi Afreh Biney, says the scheme has significantly reduced the time it takes to process pension claims, bringing the average turnaround period down to just seven days.

Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express Business Edition on Thursday, he explained that pensioners who submit the required documents can now expect to be placed on the pension payroll within a week.

“So let's say you've gone on pension now, all your documents are right, and you've submitted them to us. On average, now it takes us seven days to process your request to be put on the pension payroll to the very end,” he said.

According to him, the process still involves several checks before a claim is approved.

“Because remember, we need to do some investigations, we need to pick files, do some validations, and all that. So that's what it means,” he explained.

Mr Biney attributed the improvement largely to SSNIT’s ongoing digital transformation efforts, which have streamlined operations and reduced delays in processing claims.

He said, however, that technology alone is not enough to guarantee results.

“Automation has really helped, but one of the things that I believe we need to work on is the mindset shift as to the use of our digital channels,” he said.

He noted that investments in technology will only yield their intended benefits if customers embrace and actively use the digital platforms available to them.

“If you've invested in technology but you haven't gotten people to accept it and use it, you will not get the benefits that you seek,” he stressed.

To drive adoption, SSNIT has established a dedicated department focused on improving digital services and encouraging greater usage among members.

“We currently have set up a department whose core job is to look at our digital channels, to get people to use it, to get feedback and ensure that consistently we are nimble and improving for people to use with ease and convenience,” he said.

The SSNIT Director-General said the institution has deliberately made digital engagement the preferred option for accessing its services.

“We also made a conscious decision that we wanted digital to be the default,” he stated.

He added that the scheme is intensifying public education on the convenience and efficiency of its digital platforms, while maintaining physical interactions as a complementary service.

“Face to face becomes complementary to the digital use, which is more convenient today,” he said.

Mr Biney argued that service delivery must align with changing customer behaviour, especially in an era where mobile phones have become central to everyday life.

“You wake up in the morning, and probably the first thing you pick up is your phone. You probably will go on WhatsApp,” he said.

“Let's make it. Let's look at how we live our lives and offer solutions that mimic how we live. And through that, we bring convenience and service to the people.”