Letter of the Day | Why do pensioners have to prove they are ‘alive’?
Published:Friday | October 18, 2024 | 12:06 AM
THE EDITOR, Madam:
I have been disturbed about this matter since I became aware of this practice about 15 years ago. Maybe if enough Jamaicans think about this unjust practice this may help the powers that be to put an end to it.
Let me begin by pointing out that it is very unfortunate that the pensioners have to bear the brunt of the unlawful practices of dishonest people. It begs the question, has dishonesty become a norm in Jamaica? The jury is out as to whether we have more dishonest people than honest ones. I begin with this because the argument posited by most people that I have spoken with, including some of those who are victims of this insensitive, unjust and oppressive system, is that this system is in place because some people are dishonest enough to collect pension for their relatives who are dead. The solution to this problem should not be to penalise retired persons for a crime that they do not even have the potential to commit. It is not possible for them to collect a pension after death.
Therefore, it is cruel and inhumane to put the onus on pensioners by presuming that they are dead unless an authorised person certifies that they are alive. As a result of this presumption of death, no pension is issued unless a life certificate is received for each government pensioner. This system should be abolished and an acceptable way found to mitigate the problem of dishonesty among workers and relatives of pensioners.
In this technological age where we boast of technological advancement, why is the Accountant General’s Department not able to get an update on those who are dead each day? Every death by natural causes or otherwise has to be registered with the Registrar General’s Department (RGD). A burial order has to be obtained from the RGD before anyone is buried. Missing persons are reported as well. The information is available. “Where there is a will, there is a way”. Technology has made it easier. Is there a need for new laws? Whatever it takes, I am sure that there is a better way and we can find it. This is an urgent matter.
I take this opportunity to appeal to people of all ages to pay attention to this matter. The only way to avoid getting old is to die young. I urge those who have the power to end this abominable practice of presuming pensioners dead unless they produce a life certificate four times a year, to end this unjust practice. This is cruel and inhumane. A better way must be found to deal with the pervasive dishonesty in our society. Oppressing pensioners cannot be the answer.
WINNIE ANDERSON-BROWN