Dear Claudienne,

I live in St Elizabeth. I was getting an NIS pension but since April 2022 I have not got a payment. I need the money and would like to know why they have stopped it.

I hope you can help me.

EF

Dear EF,

Tell Claudienne has been in communication with the NIS since September 7, 2022 trying to find out why your pension was abruptly discontinued and when the payments would resume. The column notes that the NIS restarted the pension payments to you in February 2023.

When the NIS stopped your pension in April 2022 you were receiving $8,719.02 per month. Since the payments restarted the NIS has reduced the monthly payments to you to $4,359.51 monthly.

Tell Claudienne has argued for the NIS administration to explain to you why your pension payments were stopped. The column notes that on April 11, 2023 you received a letter — signed by a customer service officer for the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security — that explains why your pension was halted and why there has been a reduction in the amount you are now receiving.

The letter states the following:

“It has come to our attention that after submitting your retirement application on August 13, 2014 that you indicated in Part II that you had given up all gainful employment in 2013. Please see copy of page 2 of your application for your retirement pension. On this basis your pension application was approved and payments made with effect from March 11, 2013. However, you subsequently returned to work for five (5) years from 2013 to 2018 which resulted in the payment of contributions. Under the National Insurance Act all persons who are still employed up to the age of 70 years are not yet eligible to be paid a retirement pension. Please note that your new retirement date is therefore March 11, 2018 — and not March 11, 2013 as you had previously stated.

It is important to note that you were therefore overpaid for the period March 11, 2013 to March 11, 2018 at a rate of $1, 517.06 per week, equalling $395, 645.82. Part 4 Section 27 (1) of the National Insurance Act mandates the recovery of this sum. As a result, your current pension payment will be reduced by fifty per cent (50 per cent) for a period of 80 months, commencing May 2023, to recover the sum overpaid.

Please note that your adjusted pension payment will be $4, 359.51 per month beginning in May 2023.”

We wish you all the best.

Have a problem with a store, utility, a company? Telephone 876- 936-9436 or Cell # 876-484-1349 or write to: Tell Claudienne c/o Sunday Finance, Jamaica Observer, 40-421/2 Beechwood Avenue, Kingston 5; or e-mail:edwardsc@jamaicaobserver.com. Please include a contact phone number.