GUYANA: Not a Welfare State, but Gives Old Age Assistance

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (Stabroek News), January 1, 2006: Bibi Shadick, Minister in the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security, is advising old age pensioners not to pay for the application forms and to contact the ministry should they have difficulty filling out the forms. At end-of-year press conference, Shadick said there had been reports of persons photocopying the forms and selling them. She also said her ministry had received reports that persons were paying Justices of the Peace up to $5,000 to assist them in filling out the application forms. Meanwhile, the books for this year will not be ready until mid month because the increase of the pension was not decided until late in 2005. Pensioners are advised not to leave their old books at the post office as they would need them to receive the new books. There were over 31,000 old age pensioners on the ministry's system. The list was more than 90% accurate but there were still some areas where persons had not been completely honest. For example there were some seniors who were no longer living in Guyana, but who continued to receive pension. The minister said that according to the law, for a person to receive pension he/she must be at least 65 and living in Guyana. "Unlike NIS [National Insurance Scheme] pensions, old age pensions are not contributory, you don't contribute to them. The sole determining factor is that you must be 65 and living in Guyana." She said the $3,500 paid to the pensioners monthly, was in no way meant to maintain an old age pensioner, adding that the government has given other assistance. For example, she said for the past two years the government has paid the water bills for all old age pensioners who receive bills. She revealed that over $65 million was spent on water bills for the pensioners in 2004 and this year it was almost the same sum. She explained that there was an arrangement in place with Guyana Water Inc, and while the old age pensioners receive the bill they only have to visit the local office present their bill and old age pension document and their name would be ticked off the list kept by the company. She said there were persons who were over 65 but have not applied for old age pension. The minister pointed out that Guyana was not a welfare state and did not give people enough money to live on; what it gave was some assistance.