Early pension, late delivery
Dear Claudienne,
I used to work at the Moneague College, but because of illness I had to take early retirement. I worked on the auxiliary staff at the college and retired on January 1, 2016. At the time of writing to you (March 3, 2017) I have not received even a dollar of my pension benefits.
When I visited the Brown’s Town Regional Office of the Ministry of Education (MOE) to find out when I would get my pension, their explanation was different from the story I got from the Human Resources office at the college.
Moneague College was late in submitting my documents to the head office of the MOE in Kingston, as when I phoned them they said they had not received them.
I need money to pay my mortgage and light and water bills. I also have to use an oxygen machine at home that costs me $13,000 per month, and I have to buy other medication and food.
I would be grateful for your assistance in getting my pension benefits.
JS
Dear JS,
The MOE told us in April that they had just received your file. When we called the ministry a few weeks later they said the college had been asked to send them additional information.
On August 30, 2017, Tell Claudienne received the following e-mail from the Director of the Communications Unit of the Ministry of Education.:
“I am advised that the processing of JS’s claim is far advanced. The Ministry is awaiting one final signed document from the board of Moneague Teachers College to have it completed and submitted for completion. I am also advised that in the first stage the file was submitted to the Ministry late and there were some documents which were needed and had to be retrieved. They are working on it and I am assured JS will be advised soonest.”
The Schools’ Personnel and Administrative Services Unit of the MOE told Tell Claudienne that your pension application documents would be sent to the Ministry of Finance (MOF) Pensions Unit for processing by September 29, 2017. On October 2, 2017, we asked the Communications and Public Relations Branch of the MOF the following:
“Seeing that JS is ill and in need of her retirement benefits, is there anything that can be done to expedite the processing of same?”
On October 2 the MOF’s public relations branch replied to our request as follows:
“The necessary checks have been made and the Ministry is not as yet in receipt of the documents for JS. Once we are in receipt, I have the assurance that every effort will be made to expedite same.”
However, your file was not sent to the Finance Ministry’s Pensions Unit until October 4. We note that you are in communication with the MOF and have applied for an advance payment of your pension. The advance was approved.
We note that you have received a letter from the MOF explaining the details of the advance payment. However, when Tell Claudienne spoke to you on Wednesday January 3, 2018, you were actually in the hospital.
We wish you a speedy recovery.
All the best.