Government has made good to restoring Government pensions and invalidity benefits nearly six months after they were slashed for scores of public workers who were retired medically unfit – including the woman whose lone protest sparked public outcry.
Minister of Finance Ryan Straughn told Barbados TODAY all 190 pensioners are on track to receive their pensions on or before the end of the month.
He said: “During the course of the month, the pensions were reinstated.
“Last week Thursday when I was going to Cabinet at that time there were only 26 persons left out of the 190 that were to be paid.
“Pension day is either tomorrow or Thursday so I anticipate that persons should receive their pensions by pension day.”
An elated Janice Harris, a former maid at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, told Barbados TODAY she was pleased to receive her reduced pension of $628.62 after her pension was cut back in June to a mere $47.51. The move led to her protest at the gates of Parliament.
Janice Harris after receiving her pension.
She said: “Joy unspeakable, full of glory, praise the name of the Lord. I thank God for restoring the pensions for the medically unfit people.
“I thank God for working on the Prime Minister’s heart to restore the pensions. God is good. We the medically unfit can live a normal life.”
Harris’ comments came four days after Senator Caswell Franklyn threatened to take Government to court if the invalidity benefits and pensions were not restored.
Senator Franklyn said: “These people are entitled to their pensions.
“The problem is that a lot of these people are not in a position to pay for legal counsel, so they would suffer. I am not going to let that happen.
Harris expressed thanks and gave praises to God for “moving the heart” of Prime Minister Mia Mottley to authorize the Government’s financial secretary Ian Carrington, the Director of Finance and Economic Affairs to instruct the paymaster, the Accountant General, to restore her pension.
She said: “When the Prime Minister gave the order to Ian Carrington, I knew that was the authorization that I was praying about.
“I thank God for speaking to the Barbados Labour Party and moving their hearts to restore our pensions and giving us back our liberty to live a normal life and we can enjoy happiness once again. I just want to keep praising God celebrating, giving God thanks, glory, and praises.”
Harris, an ordained prophetess, told Barbados TODAY she thanks God for giving her this tremendous victory for medically unfit workers in Barbados.
She declared: “I thank God for everyone who stood and believed that God was going to bring the victory one day.
“We can all say to God be the glory great things he has done. Glory be to God.
“It seemed it would never come it was victory after victory, there were times that we heard we would get back the pensions my heart was so full and so glad and then it was like we would not get back the pensions, but today Jesus has won the victory.
“Words cannot express my feelings it is so overwhelming to see what God can do.”
