Dear Claudienne

I am writing on behalf of my niece, who resides in the United States.

In 2007 she applied for NIS benefits but got no response. She re-applied in 2012 and requested the NIS to send her payments to a Bethel Town postal address in Westmoreland in care of another aunt of hers.

This aunt made several checks with the NIS and in 2013 they told her that the cheque would be mailed out shortly.

However, the NIS did not follow my niece’s instructions and never sent her cheque to the Bethel Town postal address in care of her aunt.

She made numerous calls to the NIS office thereafter, but received no further response from them.

In September 2014, I decided to check at the Ripon Road NIS office and was told that in 2013 a cheque for $464,835.51 had been mailed out to my neice at the Bethel Town address.

I communicated that information to her aunt in Westmoreland and she informed me that my neice’s NIS pension payments were being made to a person with a similar name to hers, who resided in the district where she lived. She said that the NIS was sending the pension books to this person and that regular encashments were being made.

I gave the NIS Ripon Road office this information and was later informed that an officer from the Westmoreland NIS office went to the district and retrieved the current pension book.

In October 2014, my niece visited Jamaica and went to the Ripon Road NIS office. She was told to submit another application in her married name with her maiden name attached. In the October 2014 application she named me as her agent and in that capacity I am writing to you.

After she returned to the US she wrote to the Permanent Secretary at the Labour ministry and requested a speedy resolution to the matter. I took this letter to the NIS Ripon Road office on January 7, 2015.

I have always read your column in the Sunday Observer and am seeking your intervention in this matter.

VB

Dear VB

When Tell Claudienne contacted the Ripon Road NIS office we were advised that the matter was being investigated by the Director of the NationaI Insurance Scheme. We spoke to her and last week she informed us that your neice’s claim was being processed and that the cheque would be ready shortly. You have informed us that as your neice’s agent you collected the cheque on Wednesday February 25 from the NIS Heroes Circle head office.

Good luck.

Dear Claudienne

I now live in Trinidad, but I had worked at two hotels in Jamaica prior to migrating. I wrote to the NHT requesting NHT refunds for 1996, 1997 and 1998. I left my job with one hotel in 1996, and worked at a different hotel in 1997 and 1998

After much stress and confusion, the NHT finally advised me that I needed to submit an income verification letter from the employers, as the system was not reflecting my contributions.

I obtained two verification letters from the different hotels where I had worked and submitted them to the NHT. However, the NHT did not acknowledge receipt of the two letters, stopped responding to my e-mails, and did not process my refund.

Please also note that, although in the correspondence from NHT sent to me on June 18, 2014, it was noted that with respect to the period 1997-1998 “your name does not appear on the annual return for this period”, I subsequently received notification from the hotel on June 30, 2014, (prior to my submission to NHT of the Income Verification Letter for 1997 and 1998), that they were refunding me the amount of $5,000.00 plus interest of $2,957.24, (total $7,957.24) for 1998. However, as you will see from the Income Verification Letter submitted by the hotel (attached), my contributions for 1998 amounted to $13,037.81(and $19,556.73 employer). It would seem that approximately half the amount was deducted from the refund amount.

Please note that I have never received a loan from the NHT, so all my contributions are refundable.

My e-mail is supported by various attachments.

Your assistance will be greatly appreciated in jolting the NHT into action for restitution in these three related matters pending for over 10 years.

CF

Dear CF

We asked the NHT to investigate your complaint. They said that it took the Trust a longer time than anticipated to reconcile the account of one of your former employers. They have apologised for the delay in refunding your money. We note that the refunds for 1996, 1997 and 1998 were sent to you on February 3.

Good luck.

Have a problem with a store, utility, a company? Telephone 936-9436 or write to: Tell Claudienne c/o Sunday Finance, Jamaica Observer, 40-42 1/2 Beechwood Avenue, Kingston 5; or e-mail: edwardsc@jamaicaobserver.com. Please include a contact phone number.