$20,000 travel allowance.. “No need to rush” – Persaud to senior citizens as distribution begins today

…have until November 1 to claim allowance

Human Services and Social Security Minister Dr Vindhya Persaud is urging senior citizens not to rush to collection points as the distribution of the Government’s $20,000 annual transportation allowance begins today, assuring that measures have been put in place to ensure a smooth process across the country.
In a video message on Tuesday, the Minister said all post offices nationwide have been supplied with the necessary stamps, allowing pensioners to have their transportation allowance vouchers stamped and encashed at the same location.
“I’ve been listening to you, and we’ve been working hard over the last few days to make sure that we have a seamless process from tomorrow,” Persaud said.
She explained that pensioners can also have their vouchers stamped at any Ministry of Human Services and Social Security office before encashing them.
The Minister stressed that beneficiaries do not need to visit on the first day, noting that the process will remain open from July 8 until November 1, 2026.
“It is an annual grant, so you don’t all have to go tomorrow [today]. The process starts tomorrow [today] and ends on the 1st of November 2026. Therefore, I don’t want you to line up, and I don’t want there to be a lot of lines,” she said.
Persaud also reminded pensioners who receive their monthly old age pension through banks or MMG that the $20,000 transportation allowance will be deposited directly into their accounts, eliminating the need to visit a distribution point.
The Minister further outlined arrangements for elderly persons who are housebound or living with disabilities. She said those individuals can authorise someone to act on their behalf by signing the authorisation section at the back of the pension book and identifying the authorised person.
That individual must present the pension book containing the voucher along with the pensioner’s identification card to have the voucher stamped and subsequently encashed.
“We are making sure that even if you’re at home, you can access your $20,000 transportation allowance easily,” Persaud said.
More than 90,000 senior citizens aged 65 and over are expected to benefit from the first-time annual transportation grant, representing an investment of approximately $1.9 billion by the Government.
The travel allowance was announced as part of Budget 2026 and complements the increase in the Old Age Pension to $46,000 per month, which took effect in January this year. Combined, the measures will see more than $54 billion being provided annually in financial support to pensioners nationwide.
Under the programme, pensioners who collect their benefits using the Old Age Pension Book are required to have a $20,000 value stamp affixed to the designated page in their 2026 pension book before the voucher can be encashed at post offices or other approved payment agencies. Those receiving their pensions through banks or MMG will receive the allowance electronically.