Ombudsman: Delay in senior citizens' pensions is troubling

OMBUDSMAN Rajmanlal Joseph lamented the Social Welfare Division's (SWD's) widespread delays in the award of the senior citizens' pension to vulnerable retirees, in the 44th Annual Report of the Ombudsman (2021) laid in the House of Representatives on March 22 by Deputy Speaker Esmond Forde.

The report said this was a non-contributory pension awarded separate to the contributory pension run by the National Insurance Board (NIB.)

A table indicated that from 2017-2021 the Ombudsman received 149 complaints against the SWD, of which 81 related to the Senior Citizens' Pension, with 26 relating to public assistance, 16 to disability assistance, six to food assistance and 20 to other grants.

The report said over half the complaints related to the senior citizens' pension whose prevalence had "a striking similarity" to complaints on the NIB's retirement benefit. Both services were accessed by senior citizens within TT's vulnerable population.

The Ombudsman said this "inordinate delay" in processing pension applications was "a troubling indictment" on the efficacy of TT's social protection machinery.

"The SWD, like the NIB, must consider that most persons who belong to this age group are no longer able to return to work in order to earn a monthly income to support their basic needs or to address any health concerns which may arise.

"The delays in processing senior citizens’ pensions or benefits should not therefore be seen as simply mere bureaucratic inefficiencies but, rather, subjecting a vulnerable segment of society to unnecessary socio-economic hardship, anxiety and frustration in what ought to otherwise be their ‘golden years’."

The report also lamented the SWD's extensive delays in processing social assistance applications, like other government/state agencies.

"The Office of the Ombudsman has noted from complaints received that numerous persons expressed plights of having to wait ‘more than a year’ to receive some form of feedback on their applications including receiving home visits from the social welfare officers.

"Like the NIB, persons also complained that this process was too long and arduous and the list of documents required to complete the said process was unclear."

The report said a person whose claim has been rejected has 30 days to appeal, but people are often unaware of the appeals process and its time frame.

The Ombudsman also lamented lengthy delays in reissuing cheques which were misplaced, damaged, stolen and encashed or requiring correction.

"These pensioners are then required to wait for an investigation process to be conducted in order for cheques to be reissued.

"In spite of the fact that the SWD cannot be held solely accountable for the delay in the reissuing of cheques, it must accept some responsibility for any unjustifiable setbacks which may occur within the division in doing same."

The Ombudsman chided cases of the SWD's poor record-keeping:

"One of the recurrent issues noted by the Office of the Ombudsman based on complaints lodged against the SWD is the misplacement of an applicant’s documents submitted for processing." The report urged the SWD to take meaningful steps towards remedying this procedural issue.

"The misplacement of documents or files would contribute to the delay in processing any application.

"Employees who are charged with the function of receiving and processing applications from members of the public should be held accountable if any documents are misplaced."

In its recommendations, the report applauded the SWD's "creditable effort and marked improvement" to address complaints in late 2021, plus its "remarkable effort" to help clients during the covid19 lockdown.

"The SWD should, however, continue to make a more determined effort to ‘stop dragging its feet’ in processing social assistance applications submitted to it."

"Additionally, public education campaigns should be consistently undertaken to ensure that persons are fully sensitized about the various grants offered by the SWD and the list of documents required to make applications for those grants."

The report urged the SWD to publicise its procedures for handling applications for social assistance plus details of its appeals process. This could reduce delays.

"The Ministry of Social Development and Family Services should continue to place greater emphasis on the implementation of the direct deposit initiative allowing for cheques to be sent directly to recipients’ personal bank accounts." The pandemic highlighted the usefulness of this measure.

"Further, the use of this initiative would avoid cheques being misplaced, damaged or stolen and fraudulently encashed, thereby reducing the need for cheques to be reissued." Despite resistance, the SWD should continue sensitizing and encouraging persons, especially the elderly, on the benefits of this method.

The report urged better record keeping by the SWD. "It is the fervent hope of this office that even greater strides can be made by the SWD in rein forcing the social protection floor for the vulnerable groups throughout TT which fall within its ambit."