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This new development paints a grim picture for pensioners
Dear Editor,
It has now been 23 yrs since my mother has been receiving survivor’s benefits from the National Insurance Scheme. It has been 16 yrs since she has been receiving the benefits via the overseas route. The requirements have been that a life certificate be submitted; this should be signed “This declaration must be made before an Officer of the Guyanese Consulate in the country in which the Pensioner resides or before a Notary Public, Commissioner of Oaths, Medical Practitioner, Head Teacher, Superintendent of Police or the Manager of a Bank. The Official stamp of the person attesting to the fact of the pensioner being alive must be affixed”. As can be seen, no mention of compulsory signing by the Guyanese Consulate.
As recent as January 2013, my mother received the benefits, the period received was September – December 2012 signed by the same officer who has been signing for the last three (3) years. The system was not working; hence pensioners had to wait several months to receive the pension. That being said, a life certificate was submitted on behalf of my mother in June 2013. On inquiring since not seeing any transfer to her account we were told that the new arrangements in order for overseas pensioners to receive their benefits is that it must be notorized by the official(s) at the Guyana Consulate once the pensioner has attained the age of 80 years and older. Further to that the pensioner has to appear before the official(s). Is anybody thinking about the elderly?
This new development paints a grim picture for pensioners and it makes me see that the elderly has no place in the Guyanese society. NIS pensioners live in various states in the USA and in fact in the world over. My mother lives in Seattle – Washington State. It requires travelling a long distance to appear before the Consulate who is located in Washington DC and also a large sum of monies for airfares which involves hours of travel. Travelling for older persons has now become prohibitive.
I remember reading an article written by Freddie Kissoon some months ago where he referred to the acceptable signatories which are required by the authorities at NIS. They were unbelievably archaic. Now we have this. When will those who are in the decision making process arrive at reasonable solutions for the problems? They need to stop reacting and be proactive. It should be remembered that there are a lot of senior Guyanese living in foreign countries and given the land mass careful consideration should be given to areas that the consulate is not easily accessible. Hasty nor ill considered decisions will not solve the problems.
Are those selected to sit on boards just doing that sitting on boards? Or is this another way to deny pensioners who have contributed to the system their rewards. Due to frustration do they eventually give up? Remember the discussions on extending the age to become pensionable?
Pensioner – Anna Coppin
Maureen Williams
Maureen Ann
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