Senior citizens residing in Region One assembled to collect their pension
The Human Services and Social Security Ministry on Monday commenced the direct payment of pensions for eligible senior citizens residing in Region One (Barima-Waini).
The Ministry’s Social Services Director, Whentworth Tanner said it was the mandate of the Ministry to ensure that pensioners, despite their locations, be able to receive their pension “as seamless as possible”.
In that regard, he added that the Ministry would continue to assess and implement systems for pensioners to receive their monies hassle free.
“We do not want our seniors to travel long distances just to uplift their pensions,” he said.
The Ministry facilitates direct payments to remote communities in Regions One; Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam); Six (East Berbice-Corentyne); Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni); Eight (Potaro-Siparuni); Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) and 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).
Earlier this month, Human Services and Social Security Minister, Dr Vindhya Persaud announced that the Ministry was exploring a number of efficient ways to have Old Age Pension paid to senior citizens.
Among the measures she disclosed was direct payment to more than 3000 pensioners who were bedridden and those living in the hinterland regions. Also, under consideration, she added, was direct deposits to pensioners’ bank accounts and the use of alternate payment venues like Western Union and MoneyGram.
Expounding on the direct pension payments, she explained, “What we doing with that is increasing the access by persons in that area. In other words, it will not only be the post offices. There will be mobile units and more staff from the Ministry, so that persons will not have to go long distances to access the payments. So, we are increasing our outreach. Unfortunately, because of the terrain, we cannot deliver directly to each home, even though we will be delivering in the hinterland to those persons who are shut-in. This is making sure that we are closer in villages so that they do not have to travel long distances.”
Once Western Union and MoneyGram payment options are added, she stated, that they will become long-term payment venues, since they are easily accessible by the public.
“We are hoping to have that started within the last quarter of the year. We are going to be in talks with those entities, because banks are in specific places, post offices are in specific places. We are looking at other venues that are easily accessible by the public.”
In an effort to safeguard and protect the elderly from the COVID-19 pandemic, on April 29, 2020, the Guyana Post Office Corporation (GPOC) announced early pension payments. The GPOC disclosed that it had implemented a new alphabetical process which would be used only during the first five payment days of the month in Regions Two, Three, Four, Five, Six and 10.
This system remains in place. Moreover, the Ministry has collaborated with the GPOC, the Ministry of Health and several Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to develop appropriate and safe payment procedures for the elderly. There are currently a little over 59,000 registered pensioners.
