Government benefits & financial support after a death (Nigeria): pension, death-in-service, NSITF, NHF refunds, work benefits, banks & insurance

For the full action checklist, use what to do after a death (Nigeria).

This guide is most useful if the deceased had a job (public or private), a pension (RSA/PFA or DBS pension), Group Life/death-in-service cover, multiple bank accounts/loans, NHF contributions, or insurance policies.

If your case is simple, prioritise just three lanes first: pension route + death-in-service / Group Life + bank stop-loss (recurring charges/loans).

Who this is NOT for: If the deceased had no employment history, no pension, no bank accounts, and no formal contributions, focus first on urgent household/community support while you confirm whether any overlooked lanes exist (employer welfare, faith/community, informal savings groups).

1. Build your “identity + death proof” pack: death certificate / proof of death + your ID + proof of relationship / authority (requirements vary by lane).
2. Identify the pension lane: CPS (RSA via PFA) vs DBS/PTAD (where applicable).
3. If the person died in active service, open the death-in-service / Group Life lane immediately through the employer.
4. If the death may be work-related, open the NSITF Employee Compensation lane early (evidence + timelines matter).
5. Stop bank leakages, then map accounts/loans across banks.
6. Run a quick insurance search (paper + email + employer + bank add-ons) and open claim files.
7. If NHF contributions existed, open the NHF refund lane as a separate track.

• Was the deceased working at the time of death?
• Public sector or private sector (or self-employed)?
• Is there an RSA / PFA (pension statements, PIN, PFA messages)?
• Was the person an older DBS pensioner where PTAD may apply?
• Is there Group Life / death-in-service cover through the employer?
• Was the death potentially work-related (accident/occupational cause)?
• Were there NHF contributions (pay slip deductions, NHF number/passbook)?
• Are there standing instructions / subscriptions that will keep charging?
• Are there loans (mortgage, personal, credit) that might become overdue?

Nigeria has more than one pension pathway. Most working-age employees (especially since the 2004 pension reforms) are under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), where death benefits are processed through the deceased’s Pension Fund Administrator (PFA). Some older federal retirees fall under defined-benefit arrangements where PTAD may be involved (where applicable).

Estate authority and inheritance distribution: legal guide (Nigeria).

Many employers provide Group Life or death-in-service cover. This can be one of the fastest large payments when processed cleanly, but it often gets delayed because families don’t ask the right question early or the employer doesn’t open the claim promptly.

The NSITF Employee Compensation Scheme is designed to provide compensation to employees (or dependants) for death, injury, disease or disability arising out of or in the course of employment. In practice, the employer is usually central to reporting and claim submission — don’t assume “someone else will do it”.

If the deceased contributed to the National Housing Fund (NHF), there may be an official refund pathway for the next-of-kin. Treat NHF as its own lane: get the exact checklist, submit a complete pack once, and follow up on a schedule.

Employers can be a major source of money and documents: last salary, unused leave, bonuses, reimbursements, terminal benefits, and letters/certificates that unlock other processes (pension/insurance/bank lanes).

The standard bank question (copy/paste)

“Please confirm all products held by the deceased with your bank (accounts, deposits, cards, loans, standing instructions). What is your deceased-account process, what documents are required, and can you provide a reference/acknowledgement and expected timeline?”

Your job is to confirm 4 things quickly: whether there is a policy, who the beneficiary is, the document checklist, and the claim reference and timeline.

Nigeria’s support landscape can be fragmented across federal/state/community lanes. If the household is in immediate distress, don’t wait for long processes to finish. Ask for help while you run the bigger benefit lanes in parallel.

• Week 1–2: identify scheme (CPS vs DBS/PTAD), open PFA claim (if CPS), open employer Group Life/death-in-service, open NSITF lane if work-related, bank stop-loss + product map, insurance search, NHF detection.
• Week 3–4: submit remaining documents, respond quickly to missing-item lists, confirm next dates and references.
• Month 2: weekly follow-ups per lane, always referencing your case/claim number.
• Month 3: escalate formally if there is no movement (with evidence pack).

• Pension: you have a confirmed payout outcome and timeline from the PFA/PTAD route (or a written status with reference).
• Employer: all salary/leave/terminal payouts are settled and documentation is complete.
• Group Life / death-in-service: claim is filed with a reference and final outcome received.
• NSITF (if applicable): claim decision and payment/next steps are documented.
• NHF (if applicable): refund pathway has a decision and clear next review/follow-up dates.
• Banks & insurance: accounts/loans mapped, leakages stopped, claims completed with written outcomes.

• Death certificate / proof of death (and any supporting hospital documentation, if relevant)
• Your identification (NIN/ID/passport as applicable) and contact details
• Proof of relationship / authority (as required per lane)
• Pension lane notes: CPS/PFA vs DBS/PTAD, and all reference numbers
• Employer packet: HR contacts, payout checklist, acknowledgements, letters issued
• Group Life packet: insurer details, claim reference, document checklist
• NSITF packet (if applicable): incident report timeline, medical documents, employer letters
• NHF packet (if applicable): evidence of NHF contribution, employer confirmation, submission proof
• Bank packet: account/loan map, recurring charges list, case refs
• Insurance packet: policy clues, claim references, document checklists
• Tracking log: date, channel, officer, reference, missing items, next step, follow-up date

• Not identifying the correct pension route first (PFA vs PTAD) and submitting to the wrong place
• Assuming the employer “will handle” Group Life without you getting confirmation and references
• Letting standing instructions and subscriptions keep running for weeks
• Not saving evidence (statements, screenshots, email trails)
• Mixing benefits admin with inheritance decisions (creates conflict and stalls progress)

1. Full checklist: what to do after a death (Nigeria)
2. Funeral logistics: planning a funeral (Nigeria)
3. Estate/inheritance: legal guide (Nigeria)
4. Emotional support: grief support (Nigeria)