Widow, two children touched when receiving survivors' pension from Socso

Masnita Mustapha, 42, said she did not expect to receive help from Socso because her late husband had stopped contributing six years ago after leaving a company and becoming self-employed.

She said she was pleasantly surprised when finding out that her husband's contribution would enable the pension money to be used for the education of her two sons.

"I am touched by the swift action of Kelantan Socso's Prihatin Squad to settle the claim for the Survivors' Pension of my late husband in such a short time.

"To be honest, I had no idea that my husband's death due to drowning entitled him to receive this pension. This certainly gives me comfort as I have two children aged 10 and 18," she said when met during the Socso benefit handover ceremony at her home in Kampung Padang Sakar, Salor, here yesterday.

Also present were Welfare, Family and Women Development Committee chairman Datuk Mumtaz Md Nawi and Kelantan Socso Director Nora Yaacob.

Masnita said her husband, Wan Hafizan Wan Hussein, had died of drowning while he was out fishing on June 7.

Meanwhile, Nora said Socso's Prihatin Squad had worked quickly to trace the family members of the victim after receiving news of the drowning incident via the media.

She said that checks found that Wan Hafizan had made contributions from 2010 to 2014, and this had qualified him for the Survivors' Pension.

"The pension amount of RM475 per month will be paid to the widow and her two children. The pension payment to the widow will be made for the rest of her life, while the children, Wan Mohd Hafiz Danial, 18, and Wan Mohd Hafiy Darwish, 10, are eligible to receive it up to the age of 21, or until they receive their first degree," she added.