Government to Make it Easier for Pensioners to Prove They are Alive

The Government is to launch a platform in the coming months that will simplify proof of life verification for all government pensioners, and this will be done in phases.

At present, the pensioners are required to submit a Life Certificate once every quarter to continue receiving their money.

Life certificates must be stamped and signed by a justice of the peace (JP), notary public, minister of religion, medical practitioner, school principal, bank manager, parish councillor, town clerk or a civil servant at the equivalent grade of GMG/SEG1 or higher, stating post and ministry or department.

Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Information, Skills and Digital Transformation, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon, said transforming the current process is critical to improving efficiency.

“I’m pleased to tell you that just last week or the week before I had a demo of a system that we want to deploy in short order with the Ministry of Labour [and Social Security] that will allow our citizens to be able to verify they are alive from their phone and not needing to go searching for a JP and then having to take these forms in,” she said.

Dr. Morris Dixon was addressing Friday’s (October 25) sitting of the Senate at Gordon House, where she rose to support a Motion calling for specific legislation in the form of an Elderly Care and Protection Act.

“This is not something that we want our elderly to be having to worry about every three months – that is very, very frequent. The demo went really well. It was very simple. The only issue I had was that the font is too small, because if I can’t read it, then maybe they will also have an issue,” Dr. Morris Dixon said.

Meanwhile, she said the strength of any society is measured by how a Government treats its most vulnerable.

“The fact that there is currently no specific legislation that comprehensively protects the rights and dignity of our senior citizens is a gap that we should address. It is time that we move beyond ad hoc measures and establish this robust legal framework that guarantees our elderly are treated with the care, respect and protection they deserve,” Dr. Morris Dixon emphasised.