Countrywide verification drive begins for pensioners, public assistance recipients

The Ministry of Human Services and Social Security has launched a countrywide house-to-house verification exercise to account for the pension and public assistance population.

The exercise aims to address the ongoing issue of recipients being left off the ministry’s database.

“Over the years we have found that sometimes the list will not have all of the persons captured, which leads to omissions when books are being printed or when processes are happening.

So, in this verification exercise we are moving to go house to house across the entire country to capture all persons who are in the pensioner category and who are living with permanent disabilities so when we conclude this exercise our list will be one where everyone is included.”

Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr Vindhya Persaud underscored during an interview with the Department of Public Information (DPI) on Tuesday that the verification process is also taking a pre-emptive approach by targeting senior citizens who are swiftly approaching the old-age pension age of 65.

“So even before they apply, we know our numbers, we know where they are and we know how we can serve them better so that is the extent of what we are doing with the verification exercise,” she stated.

Persons conducting the verification exercise will be furnished with an identity badge from the ministry, as well as a tablet equipped with the relevant questions needed to update the ministry’s database.

The verification personnel will have undergone extensive training to be fully prepared for the task.

Meanwhile, Minister Persaud highlighted a series of initiatives undertaken by the ministry to evolve and simplify the pension and public assistance application and encashment process.

These initiatives include the recently added online application process and the provision of several alternate encashment venues in addition to the post office, such as MMG, banking options, MoneyGram, and Sure Pay, among others.

The minister underscored that the reasoning behind this is to significantly reduce wait times, and crowds at any one venue, and to ensure that the nation’s vulnerable groups can access their benefits from the comforts of their homes.