Frustrated with delay in release of funds from EPF

I AM a retiree and I rely on my EPF savings each month for my various expenses. Recently, EPF allowed contributors to apply for withdrawals online. As I am eligible, I applied online for a withdrawal on March 24.

However, as of March 31, the money is yet to be credited into my account.

In normal times, I would have received the money within three working days after submitting the application. What is even more upsetting is that there is no one manning the EPF’s Contact Management Centre hotline. A recorded voice tells callers that the Contact Management Centre is closed throughout the period of the movement control order.

I have also emailed EPF, which has yet to respond. This is despite the fact that we are informed on the website that a response would be sent within five working days.

While I understand that these are unusual times and there is a need for the EPF offices to be closed, what is unacceptable is that the Contact Management Centre’s phone line is simply not managed.

If staff can work from home, surely some dedicated person could be asked to answer these calls. In this day and age when technology is at our finger tips, a simple thing like ensuring that a human being is able to answer calls from contributors should be possible.

These are extreme times and this has to be considered from the point of view of people who rely on their EPF savings for their subsistence.

This is a double whammy. We don’t receive the money which we need for our expenses and no one can even tell us when we it will be deposited into our account. I am sure there are many others in the same predicament as me.