Pension worries for former MP, ambassador

Dr Jennifer Jones-Kernahan, 67, has been in financial limbo for the past few years because of a question over her length of service to the people of TT.

She has been an opposition senator, government senator, minister of food production and marine resources, and TT’s ambassador to Cuba.

She turned 65 on October 26, 2018 and applied for a retiring allowance from the government, but is yet to receive it.

In a Facebook post on December 28, her husband, Malcolm Kernahan, said Jones-Kernahan was in need of “specialised medical attention” and questioned why his wife had not received her due.

Speaking to Sunday Newsday, he said her contract with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said once she had served four years as ambassador, she was entitled to a monthly pension on retirement.

Jones-Kernahan wrote to the Ministry of Legal and Caricom Affairs, to the Parliament, and to the Comptroller of Accounts for clarification. She was told some of her files could not be found and her case was unique, so legal advice had to be sought.

“NIS was out of the question, because she did not make enough contributions to it. We asked, if they don’t want to give her a pension as a parliamentarian or government ambassador, what about the Senior Citizens’ Grant?

"Some guy told us not to go down that road, to hold on a little bit.”

Jones-Kernahan's daughter Nefertari Kernahan shared some documents with Sunday Newsday.

On June 6, 2019 the Clerk of the House wrote to the Comptroller of Accounts asking for her retiring allowance entitlement to be granted under the Retiring Allowances (Legislative Service) Act, Chapter 2:03, Section 5.

The act says “a retiring allowance shall be paid to any person who has served as a legislator for periods amounting in the aggregate to not less than five years.”

The letter pointed out that Jones-Kernahan served as minister from June 28, 2001-December 24, 2001, and as high commissioner to Cuba from November 18, 2010-October 24, 2015.

Not getting a response from the Comptroller, Jones-Kernahan wrote to the Ministry of Foreign and Caricom Affairs. A reply from the permanent secretary at the time dated June 13, 2019, said while the issue fell under the purview of the Comptroller of Accounts, the ministry was “not aware of any impediments to your receipt of any benefits to which you may be entitled under the said act” – by which was meant the Retiring Allowances (Diplomatic Service) Act.

But Section 7 (1) of that act says a retiring allowance should be paid to a person who served "as a Head of Mission for periods amounting in the aggregate to not less than eight years."

In July of that year Jones-Kernahan again wrote to the Comptroller of Accounts highlighting sections 15 and 16 of the Diplomatic Service Act, noting that she had received her gratuity as outlined in the act, but asking why she had not received her monthly allowance.

Nefertari said her mother has four children who help her, but no source of income, and her savings were rapidly being depleted. She added that her mother was frustrated and stressed about the situation, which has led to her having high blood pressure.

Jones-Kernahan is also in the early stages of dementia. She was seeing a specialist, but had to discontinue treatment because of her finances. However, she still has to have regular tests, including CT scans.

“Every time I contact the Parliament they say, ‘No, we have no word yet. It’s in the lawyers’ hands for an interpretation of her combined service, because we never had a case like this.’ And they have just been running us around for years.”

In addition, Nefertari said the Parliament staff asked for Jones-Kernahan’s instrument of appointment as minister, because the records of her being a minister were lost. She said she did not know where to start looking for the document, but did not believe that would make a difference.

Describing her mother as a dedicated patriot, she said, “In a small country like this, why is it so hard for a woman to get her pension? And she served her country for all these years! Why do you have to suffer after working so hard?

"She was a UNC senator, so I believe this is straight victimisation.

"I don’t know why things have to be so political. Just give her what is due to her.”