Some pensioners still not getting NIS payments

Two former Government employees are crying out to the Mia Mottley Administration to pay them their old age pension benefits which had been unceremoniously discontinued several years ago.

The ex-public workers, who preferred to remain anonymous for fear of victimization, told Barbados TODAY this afternoon both of them went home medically unfit – one in 2001 and the other in 2015.

One, who would only be identified as Doris said she is currently receiving an invalidity pension of over $900, but no old age pension to which she is also entitled.

“I came off medically unfit five years ago and I never got any pension pay but got disability. This thing got everything all mixed up. People that are retiring are not people that come off medically unfit. Retired people are retired people. They [ought to] get their pension. But when you come off medically unfit, you speaking about a disability benefit.  That agency [where I worked] is a pensionable place,” the 63 year old Doris declared.

She explained that she was also entitled to a pension from the Treasury having been employed at the particular Government department for more than three decades.

“I know someone that used to work at the National Sports Council and the individual was not even there for 15 years and came off medically unfit, and receives a pension. That is not fair; that is a statutory board also,” the former Government worker pointed out.

“Some people are being hurt, some people get through. It depends on who you know.  Some lady at the hospital was there for less years, came out [medically unfit] and she is good now,” Doris suggested.

The distraught woman told Barbados TODAY she has approached no fewer than three Government MPs who wrote down her information, but she continues to wait for results.

“I even called back my workplace after I went home medically unfit; and all they telling me is that I entered the system (public service) after 1976.  I called the NIS [National Insurance Department] and they told me I should get my money,” she recalled.

Doris also complained that she was experiencing physical and mental pain for not being able to benefit from the pension.

“I am surviving in pain.  My two feet…yes, I might look nice walking and thing, but after walking and coming home, I am no use to myself. My foot does feel like the two going to drop off,” she said.

Financially, Doris complained that she is struggling to pay her mortgage.

“Financially, I still in debt. I still got my house and other things to pay for…my mortgage. You see, I was looking that my pension from work would have helped me. You know, you would have put the two [old age and invalidity pensions] together and the two would have come back close to what you would have worked for. It is really rough,” she added.

“Sometimes I sit down and think about it…I am a diabetic and the thinking sends up the [blood] pressure too high, so the doctor tell me just relax. So I prayer and everything works out,” the senior citizen told Barbados TODAY.

Doris then sought to defend Prime Minister Mia Mottley who had intervened to ensure the pension benefits were paid.

“She gave out the word, but she did not look to see directly who getting from who isn’t getting. You might be blaming her, but it is really persons that working through her now. She might be feeling that everybody comfortable, but no…everybody is not comfortable,” she contended.

Doris is insisting that either stop the pension for everybody or pay everybody.

The other former Government employee is complaining that she had been receiving just over $800 in old age pension benefits, but that was suddenly stopped.

“When I first came out they were giving me pension benefits and then they stopped it. But some of my colleagues never received it. I was receiving 800 and something dollars in pension along with the National Insurance disability of 100 and something.  I am still getting the disability but not the pension. So you see the little bit I got to live on?” said the ex-public officer who went by the pseudonym Waveney.

Waveney told Barbados TODAY she went home medically unfit in 2001, but her pension was discontinued in 2011.

“There like there are two Barbadoses. You have some people getting back their two types of benefits and we are medically burdened,” the former Government employee said.

She reported that she too was struggling financially even though her husband pays the utilities bills and she collects $600 in rent every month.

“I have no back up money. My husband would pay like the phone bill and the water bill, but I still have my own bills to pay…my credit card, my insurance; all that I still have to pay. But when I used to get that money [old age pension] I used to be alright. But now, I am not left with any money when I pay my bills,” Waveney said.

She also told Barbados TODAY she had approached a Government MP before after the May 2018 general elections,” but he did nothing…never called…nothing so.”

Like Doris, the 61 year old Waveney said she and another former public officer had also called the NIS concerning their pension and were told they should be paid.

In September last year, Press Secretary to the Prime Minister Roy Morris announced that the 190 Barbadians, who stopped receiving invalidity pensions, some dating back 15 months, would be getting their cheques again from that month.

Morris said then that this action followed a directive from Director of Finance and Economic Affairs, Ian Carrington instructing the Accountant General on the approach that should be taken to restore the cancelled pension.

He noted that the Prime Minister had promised to monitor the situation during the month of September to ensure a smooth reinstatement.
emmanueljoseh@barbadostoday.bb