Government disburses $1.2 million to support vulnerable individuals through expanded pension programme

The government has disbursed over $1.2 million in the past three months to support vulnerable individuals through an expanded non-contributory pension programme, Minister of Labour, Social Security and Third Sector Colin Jordan told Parliament on Tuesday.

“Social Security is . . . an important component of social protection and this matter of social security is one that this government also takes very seriously,” Jordan declared during the debate on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill in the House of Assembly.

The minister disclosed that last October, 464 individuals benefited from this non-contributory pension, including 281 minors and 173 adults. In November, 646 people benefited, with 416 minors and 230 adults registered.

In December, Jordan continued, “the number of adults remained the same, but there were a few additional minors registered, and so 653 persons benefited from the non-contributory pension”.

He declared: “I am pleased to say that this government does not just talk about things, this government does things, and as the member for St Michael South always likes to say, promise made, promise kept . . . . We promised it, we kept it.”

The payments so far under that programme, he added, were for “persons who are not able to work, not able to function to earn a living, but who have expenses and who in some cases have . . . greater essential expenses than those who consider themselves to be fully able”.

“Those persons cannot be left behind,” Jordan said.

The minister added: “So the total amount paid to the persons I mentioned over the three months so far is $1 216 000. That is the commitment of a government to the uplifting of those considered vulnerable in our society.”

(FW)