Dear Claudienne,

I am writing to bring to your attention a pressing matter regarding the pension of my elderly mother PA. On July 30, 2024, the Accountant General’s Department (AGD) placed a stop order on her Scotiabank account resulting in the bank withholding the withdrawal of the pension payment of $14,100 from her account.

I spoke with an officer at the AGD and he told me to e-mail my mother’s bank statements so that the department could request the bank to release her account. Despite providing the required bank statements to the AGD as requested, we have not been able to get the stop order lifted from the account.

Her life certificate is up to date as well as her other details. Why are we feeling the pain because of AGD internal issues? From July 30, 2024 to August 7, 2024 is too long for a poor person to wait. Unfortunately, our experiences with the AGD have been marked by inefficiencies, unresponsiveness, and a lack of transparency.

This situation is causing significant financial hardship, as my mother’s pension is her sole source of income. My mother, a stroke patient, is particularly vulnerable to the stress caused by this situation. I have spoken with numerous persons at the bank and have been advised by Scotiabank that they require authorisation from the AGD to lift the hold.

Your attention to this urgent issue would be greatly appreciated.

SK

Dear SK,

On contacting the Accountant General’s Department,
Tell Claudienne received the following e-mail from the AGD.

“We sincerely apologise for the delay in processing PA’s pension payment as well as the payments of other affected pensioners. Unfortunately, PA was part of a very small group of pensioners who did not receive their payments on time. This was due to the closure and merger of bank branches and updated account provided to account holders. Therefore, as part of our reverification exercise regarding the implementation of our new payment platform, several bank branches were affected. The bank has worked diligently with the AGD and the matter has been resolved.

Additionally, we understand the challenges faced by our pensioners and we have been contacting them to submit their updated bank verification information. Our goal at the AGD is to make timely pension payments and we strive to do so on or before the 25th of each month.

If you have further questions or require additional information, please contact us. We would like to remind our pensioners that they can reach us through the following channels:

Telephone: 876-922-8320-7

Toll Free: 1-888-991-3005

Email: info@treasury.gov.jm

Live Chat: www.treasury.gov.jm “

Tell Claudienne notes that Scotiabank is now allowing pension payment withdrawals from your mother’s account.

We wish you all the best.

Have a problem with a store, utility, a company? Telephone 876-936-9436 or Cell/WhatsApp # 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.