Payments for 600 ex-CS pensioners may be stopped
(CNS): Pensioners in the government’s public pension scheme who haven’t completed their 2024 annual Pension Continuation Confirmation Certificate (PCCC) will have their payments stopped next month, the Public Service Pensions Board (PSPB) said in a press release Tuesday. Earlier this year, over 2,600 PCCCs were sent to pensioners, but around 600 people have not returned a completed form in compliance with the law.
Payments will be suspended as of 10 July if the necessary paperwork is not completed as mandated by the Public Service Pensions Act, which means they will start missing monthly payments from that point on.
“I want to avoid suspending pension payments for the most vulnerable members of our community, particularly during a time such as this when Cayman residents are experiencing the most egregious of economic hardship,” said PSPB Chief Executive Officer Jewel Evans Lindsey.
“I am looking for support from the public to ensure that as many of these pensioners who are non-compliant with the requirements under the legislation get their PCCC returned as soon as possible. We value the service these retirees provided to the Cayman Islands and want to make sure we have these pensioners meet the legislative requirement to keep their payments active and suffer no interruption of their income in retirement, making them even more vulnerable,” she added.
Pension continuation certification initiatives, sometimes referred to as pensioner proof of life campaigns, are common practice internationally for major pension plans. As noted by Evans Lindsey, this practice by pension plans protects ongoing payments and ensures the long-term sustainability of pension plans.
“Our Cayman pensioner certification initiative ensures we are paying pension benefits to our
pensioners enjoying their retirement years,” said Evans Lindsey, “This program also ensures our due diligence in avoiding instances of overpayments or potential situations of fraud.”
She noted that sometimes pensioners have trouble completing their PCCC. “We know there are realities where some pensioners may need some support in completing this annual campaign. Our staff are able to offer assistance and work with our pensioners to find a solution to complete their PCCC.”
Pensioners must have their signatures on the PCCC witnessed by a justice of the peace, a notary public, a minister of religion, an attorney licensed to practice law in the Cayman Islands or an MP. Should none of these options work, pensioners can visit the PSPB office located on the 1st Floor of Athena Tower, 71 Fort Street, on Grand Cayman or at the Cayman Brac office on Dennis Foster Road to have their PCCC document witnessed on behalf of the CEO.
Once a pensioner has completed the campaign and had their returned PCCC logged, monthly payments will continue as scheduled.
Pensioners who have not completed the annual PCCC campaign and need further information, clarification, or help on the potential suspension of payments should contact the PSPB Pension Administration and Member Services Department at 345-945-8175.
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Category: Local News, Pensions
Ok. But tell me:
If I’m living overseas due to medical or lower cost of living, how can I confirm this from abroad?
Really.
Wealth Caymanians should take care of these pensioners. As they are the ones who made money off their backs and never offered and investment program or an educational course.
Has anybody tried to contact them, phoned them, must have a contact number on record. Most will not have internet. How was it mailed…ordinary mail or sign a receipt? Not difficult to check death records. Come on, do some work and find out, their pension may be left to their lived ones and not claimed by government! McKeewa completed his forms…? Guess no problem paying him!
I am not recording my death when it happens. Why do they need to know that information?
bet they won’t stop the payments.
I’m sure the PSPB have paid out a number of claims to people who never even existed, but not many.The infamous Universal Credit Scheme in the UK however is in a league of it’s own, paying out 53.9 million pounds in fraudulent claims to a gang of Bulgarians. This scam had been going on for a number of years until a senior police official in Sofia wondered why a certain district there, suddenly seemed to be full of millionaires with new built mansions , luxury cars flashing large sums of cash around.He contacted the British authorities who found the gang had submitted many thousands of false claims many from people who had never even visited the U.K.!.
Glad they are doing this. I’m required to do it in the private sector annually, so don’t complain!
Cut them off yes. Others are forced to jump through hoops to continue to collect their own money.
The PSPB is a poorly run organization. In this particular case, they should mail or email out reminders only to those people whose forms have not come back in but that means they would have to do a bit of work and collect all the names and organize the mailing effort and that is just too much work for this overstaffed office.
All
Of government departments are run poorly!
That’s all you hear about how incompetent all the departments are run.
No accountability right to the top!!
Good chance the ones that have not returned the forms are dead or off island. Right decision to terminate payments. If they cry foul later, dock them the payments between now and when they file the forms, and make sure to take your time checking all the fields on the form before approving reinstatement. Personal responsibility.
Terminate payment for the deceased for sure! But those off island? There’s no justification for not paying someone just because they are away from the islands, or even if they have become non-resident. But by requiring that a person’s signature must be witnessed by a person in the islands, they have made it very difficult for those that choose to travel in their retirement to claim what is rightfully theirs.
Doesn’t say it must be someone on island, just an attorney on island. Will accept notary in jurisdiction they are living.
Correct, they have this thing called the internet these days, whereby a unique password to access an online form could easily be used. E-Gov my ass.
A 23% fail rate sounds about right for the Civil Service.