30,000 Persons to Benefit from New Social Pension Programme

It is estimated that more than 30,000 citizens will benefit from the Government’s new Social Pension Programme.

This was disclosed by the Project Director for The Programme of Advancement through Health and Education (PATH) and the new Social Pension Programme, in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Elsa Marks Willis, during an interview with JIS News.

The Social Pension Programme targets all Jamaican citizens 75 years and older who are not currently in receipt of a pension, retirement, old-age or disability benefit or income and are not living in a government institutionalised care facility and are generally described as vulnerable.

To register for this benefit, persons may visit the parish offices of the Ministry islandwide.  They will be required to complete a Social Pension application form, accompanied by their Tax Registration Number (TRN), proof of age in the form of a birth certificate or a valid passport.

They should also take along a valid identification, such as a driver’s licence, passport or voters’ identification.

“We recognise that some persons who are eligible, because of their age do not have the requisite documentation.  They should visit the Labour Ministry’s parish offices and the officers will assist as best as possible with the documentation,” Mrs. Marks Willis pointed out.

She added that the Ministry will work closely with Tax Administration Jamaica, the Registrar General’s Department, as well as electoral offices, to assist persons in acquiring the necessary documentation.

She pointed out that PATH beneficiaries who are 75 years and older will not need to complete an application.  Those persons will be transferred over to the new programme.

The Ministry has also been collaborating with the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development, the National Council for Senior Citizens (NCSC), members of Parliament, councillors, churches, and social groups to assist with getting eligible persons on the programme.

Each beneficiary will receive $6,800.00 every two months, which will be credited to their bank account or disbursed via the applicant’s remittance agency of choice.

According to Mrs. Marks Willis, the Ministry recognises the financial inclusion aspect and the thrust of the Government to enable persons to get their payment quite easily and electronically, so the funds will be disbursed through these channels.

“We have already engaged some commercial banks and several persons were able to open what is known as ‘low-risk bank accounts’ with very minimal documents requirement, such as an ID and TRN,” she said.

For more information on the new Social Pension Programme, persons can call the Security Division of the Ministry at 876-922-8000-9 or visit the nearest parish office.