Ministry’s incompetence causes great suffering to Region 2 pensioners

Nov 18, 2016 Letters

Dear Editor,
‘The Ministry of Social Protection cannot be exonerated from blame for the careless printing of wrong numbers on the November payment vouchers which was responsible for several old age pensioners in Region 2 riot receiving their money for this month. With much surprise, the same problem occurs on the vouchers for the month of December which inevitably means that they would not be able to get payment for that month as well.
Questions have been raised as to how they would be able to survive without pension money for two consecutive months through no fault of their own. Remember the saying “Who feels it knows it.” This is happening in a “can’t do better situation” with the festive Christmas season being just around the corner.
The mistake was detected at the Suddie Post office last Friday (2016-11-04) where it was observed that the identical seven digit number usually printed at two places on the vouchers were not the same. As can be seen with the book presented by me on an authorization from my wife to collect her November money, the left side of the voucher under O.A.P. bears the number 07173-16 with the other on the right side with a larger print out having 071734-16. It remains the same way for the month of December.
On the basis of the numbers not corresponding, payment to me was refused with the advice given from a postal attendant to bring the anomaly to the Ministry’s office at Anna Regina for corrective measures to be taken. Many other pensioners affected likewise were quick to castigate the Ministry for putting them in this predicament when better needs to be done to avoid a recurrence of such mistakes ever so much detrimental to them.
The only consolation coming from the Anna Regina office was that to err is human with no sympathy being shown to those so affected for the difficult times ahead of them in the present situation. No time frame could have been provided as to how early corrective measures would be taken, but it is expected that the subject Minister will ensure that expeditious action is taken for this to be done within the shortest possible time. Pensioners do not deserve to suffer any unnecessary discomfort or inconvenience in their daily activities with the state having an obligation to protect their well-being at all times.
Frustrated Pensioner

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