Pensioners experience hardship to collect payments

Dear Editor,
Some form of action needs to be taken by the Ministry of Social Protection to avoid the unbearable punishment that keeps recurring when old age pensioners have to collect their monies. The pensioners are made to endure several challenges when they turn up at the Suddie Post Office to collect their monies at the beginning of every month.
From as early as 06:00h on the first day, senior citizens can be seen conveying in front of the building, scattered sitting or standing by the roadside parapets or under trees waiting on the doors to open. However, when the gate is opened, there are limited seating accommodations in the compound.
Most seriously affected in the ugly state of affairs are many Amerindians, including women, living in the backlands having to cover long distances walking out, possibly without a meal like many others as well to be attended to.
As recent as two Fridays ago, payments did not commence until shortly after 10:30h. With the long wait, some pensioners left out of frustration in a situation where there is not even drinking water.
On the same day as would usually happen, all the pensioners could not have been paid because the money ran out; this causing further hardship and inconvenience to return the other day.
From my own experience, the next pay day, I went to collect my pension at 07:30h and saw dozens of pensioners already there waiting, but upon enquiring, I was told that payments will be made later in the day.
Eventually, they started to pay at 10:45h.
The pensioners deserve better and should be paid promptly – the only way to end the problem once and for all.

Sincerely,
Balram Persaud