Dionne Rose, Staff ReporterFRUSTRATED PENSIONERS who have been receiving their pension payments late can expect an improvement as government moves to introduce a new electronic system that will update each pensioner's account at the island's post offices.
Alvin McIntosh, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, said that the new system would be introduced in June.
"It is a system whereby we will have a big account with the postmaster general, but we are going to be setting up some sub-accounts with each post office," he told The Gleaner this week. "This is an arrangement (among) the bank, post offices and ourselves."
PLIGHT OF PENSIONERS
Mr. McIntosh was responding to the plight of pensioners who have turned up at post offices where pension payments are distributed, only to be told that their pension payments were not ready.
One such pensioner from St. Thomas, in a 'Letter to the Editor', said, "The pensioners are having a very hard time when the money does not come on time. They find it so hard to pay transportation fees; most of them even have to seek financial help to pay their way back home."
But Mr. McIntosh explained that some of the post offices were tardy in requesting the money that was needed.
"It is not that funds are not available," he said. "National Insurance could never run out of money."
The permanent secretary said that with the introduction of the new electronic-based system, the ministry would be able to move quickly to ensure that each pensioner's account is updated.
Mr. McIntosh said that when the system is introduced, "Nobody will ever squeal again that there are no funds available."
