Opposition spokesperson on gender, the elderly and persons with disabilities, Denise Daley, has called for urgent reform to Jamaica’s public sector pension system and charged that too many retired Jamaicans are forced to wait years before receiving their benefits.

Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday, following a ministerial statement on the outcomes of Senior Citizens’ Month 2025 by Minister of Labour and Social Security Pearnel Charles Jr, Daley argued that many elderly Jamaicans remain neglected despite the State having a moral duty to ensure their financial and emotional well-being.

“I believe we need to put a proper timing…when we know that these people are going to retire, [so] that we do not let them retire and then they don’t give up on their status quo, don’t start the process. We need public education in order that these persons will be able to enjoy their pension before they pass. And I also believe we need to start looking at those who have now gone long before, still active, still doing well, still alive, and need a liveable pension,” said Daley.

She charged that delays in accessing pensions have left many of Jamaica’s elderly in distress, forcing them to depend on relatives, neighbours, or charity to survive.

According to Daley, pension reform should be treated as a matter of urgency, not bureaucracy.

“They should not be waiting five and six years, and seven years, some of them, before they can get their pensions, I mean, that is what they survive from,” she lamented.

Daley also called on the Government to review how some policies affect elderly citizens who live on limited fixed incomes.

“We need to start looking at how we look at taxes, property taxes, for these elderly. Some of these things have become serious burden upon them and if we really want them to live longer, and if we really want them to feel good and happy, we need to take care of their well-being,” she urged.

While commending the Ministry of Labour and Social Security and the National Council for Senior Citizens (NCSC) for their continued work in promoting active ageing, Daley insisted that more practical measures must accompany celebrations such as Senior Citizens’ Month.

Charles Jr, in response, acknowledged the issues raised and assured Parliament that steps are being taken to modernise the pension process and address delays.

“We are right now doing some significant work to not just identify challenges but to look on the solutions in terms of innovation, adjusting the mechanisms that are used to ensure that the process for our pensioners is as efficient and effective as possible,” said Charles Jr.

He explained that the current processing period for pensions should ideally take about seven months, but admitted that there are “circumstances that you can only see as anomaly that goes way beyond that seven months.”

According to Charles Jr, these delays often stem from gaps in employment records or missing information that slow verification and approval.

In the meantime, Anthony Hylton, Member of Parliament for St Andrew Western, described one aspect of the pension system as unnecessarily burdensome for the elderly.

Hylton took issue with the requirement for pensioners to frequently obtain life certificates in order to continue receiving payments.

“Minister, am I incorrect in believing that the requirement that the elderly has to be certified almost every month for this life certificate, that it is nothing more than a bureaucratic number and that it is time that we do something about this constant requirement of proving that they are still alive? If they’re not reported at RGD (Registrar General’s Department) as being dead, why aren’t we able to assume that they are still alive?” Hylton asked.

He argued that the process is not only outdated but also “very burdensome,” explaining that his constituency office spends significant time helping senior citizens obtain and submit these certificates to the relevant agencies.

In response, Charles Jr acknowledged the concern, agreeing that the current system was outdated, though he maintained that bureaucracy also serves a purpose.

“Bureaucracy is not always bad. Bureaucracy serves as a means of accountability, and so it’s part of protecting the seniors,” said Charles Jr as he explained that while the Government is working to modernise the life certification process, some seniors still prefer the traditional in-person system.

“Some seniors want to use their certificate. They want to leave their home, and they want to take that journey. They want to partner with their grandson who is in the car, travelling them to the ministry. It’s an experience for them,” said Charles Jr.

He told the House that after consulting directly with senior citizens, he realised that replacing the process entirely could alienate those who still find comfort in the physical interaction.

The minister pointed out that the Government is introducing alternative options, including the digital “I’m Alive” application, which allows pensioners to complete certification remotely.

“What we’re doing is not replacing, but providing alternatives because there are a lot of seniors, like 89-year-old Pearnel Charles Sr, who is constantly telling me that he has no time to do that because he is engaged in active ageing and so he would rather do that using an application,” added Charles Jr.