Dear Editor,

A senior relative of ours has been complaining for a long time about Government of Jamaica Pension Life Certificates.

Recipients of government pension must submit a signed life certificate every quarter to the Accountant General’s Department (AGD) in order to receive the next pension payment. This is archaic and annoying as the certificate must be endorsed by either a justice of the peace, medical practitioner, minister of religion or a few other designated officials. The document must be submitted on time, every three months, as the life certificate is the main driver of payments.

Considering that many pensioners might have some medical or disability/ mobility issues, this adds to the annoyance. Some pensioners have also complained about receiving the certificates late in the mail. While it is realised that some system should be in place to minimise fraud and ensure that recipients are in fact alive, surely the Government can come up with a better system of tracking that will make life easier for its pensioners.

If certificates must be used it should be annually, not quarterly. Government offices also should communicate with each other. If someone dies, the (Taxpayer Registration Number) TRN should be flagged somewhere in their system. The TRN is already logged on these life certificates, what is the point if it cannot be validated?

The administrative costs to manage these documents and mail them out every quarter must also be significant, plus the inconvenience to pensioners who might miss payment(s) if they receive or submit these documents late.

The AGD should review this archaic system of certifying one’s life every few months, as a means to drive pension payments.

P Chin

chin_p@yahoo.com