Pensioners dissatisfied at handling of contribution payments, monthly claims

Apr 15, 2015 News

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One of the functions of the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) is the provision of old age pension to

retired Guyanese above the age of 60.  Citizens become eligible for old age pension after working for at least 15 years, and have made the required payment of contributions for that period.
At minimum, one’s contributions should add up to 750 allowing them to receive a monthly pension after the NIS has conducted the necessary investigations into that individual’s work history.  However, for some persons, although contributions have exceeded the minimum requirements, thus allowing them to collect their due pension, the NIS seems apprehensive to cash in these payments.
Such is the case for former Police Officer George Roland Nedd. According to Nedd, he has been paying contributions to the institution since 1970 until his retirement in 2010.
The retiree has worked not only as a police officer, but in Sea Defence and as a Regional Democratic Chairman for Region Two. As it stands, Nedd’s contributions have exceeded the minimum 750 contributions, to over 1000. This would therefore make him eligible to receive monthly pensions above the current minimum payment.
While this should be the case, Nedd has reported to this publication that four years after his retirement he is yet to receive his due pension.
“They’ve been telling me one thing over and over for the past four years,” said the 64-year-old, with records of his contributions in hand. Despite having in his possession the necessary paperwork to validate his payment of contributions, Nedd explained that nothing has come out of his matter.
According to Nedd, he has been behind the NIS about his contribution for the last four years and has received no response as to an increase in his monthly old age pension.
“Every time I go to NIS, they tell me to check back. And every time I check back, I don’t get a response from anybody,” said the former Regional Chairman.
In the best of circumstances, this could be considered an isolated incident subject to some human error, however Nedd’s plights comes at a time when the NIS faces an uphill battle in public favour.
Nedd is not alone in his years of appeal to the NIS, for receiving due payment. Ian De France is another retiree saying that the NIS is preventing him from receiving his correct monthly pension. The 67-year-old says that he has been back and forth with the NIS for over 10 years in order to get his contributions right.
De France related his frustrations as he has made four appeals to the NIS in relation to his contributions, since his retirement in 2007. He had been working since 1964, with contributions amounting to over 900.
He has since been behind the NIS with his necessary paperwork and proof of contribution payments to sort out the matter. Much like Nedd, De France explained that the institution has been very unhelpful in his situation.
“Since 2004 I’ve been behind NIS to get conditions right with my pension,” said De France, yet again with documentation to prove his claims. His proof of contributions came from the compilation of his personal pay slips reaching as far back as the 1970s. De France has also had an eclectic work life, spending most of his years employed at Omai Mines.
De France further showed that he had been working for above the cut-off point for contributions which would validate his contribution claims. The pensioner has even resorted to writing to the NIS Chairman, Dr Roger Luncheon, about his concerns. He presented a letter of acknowledgment from the Chairman, but has not come closer to resolving the issue surrounding his monthly pension.
However, after a decade of back and forth, De France stated that they just have him “running around” with his haversack full of payment slips.
“My main concern is: why are these people not responding to my appeals?” expressed a noticeably vexed De France. He subsequently outlined his various medical ailments, saying his pension is vital for him to receive treatment. “I need it.”
The cases of De France and Nedd come as Presidential Candidate,  Brigadier (retired) David Granger, contesting in the May 11 General and Regional Elections, has called for a “overhaul” of the NIS. Granger expressed his opinion after a question on the efficiency of the institution was asked at a public forum earlier this week. Granger posited that the NIS needs a review of its entire operations, to meet the goals it was meant to achieve when it was set up some 40 years ago.
Attempts to reach the NIS yesterday for a comment on both matters proved unsuccessful. (Nicholas Peters)

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