Worry over children using parents’ social WELFARE BENEfiTS
Anumber of elderly persons in the Western Division have raised their concern with a counseling organisation in Lautoka against their children using part of their social welfare benefits from Government.
It is understood that those who fall under Government’s Social Pension Scheme receive about $100 a month, similar to those who are part of the Disability Allowance Scheme.
The executive director and founder of the counseling organisation, Mending Minds Foundation, Prem Singh revealed this to the Fiji Sun.
She said the elderly or senior citizens under the scheme were one of the foundation’s top concerns.
She said senior citizens’ mental health could be affected if they were not looked after properly.
“We had a lot of cases such as abandonment, financials, and homelessness when they are receiving social welfare benefits,” Ms Singh said.
“Their children are using it (welfare assistance) and the parents are left with small amounts of cash that doesn’t help them in terms of medication, food and other expenses,” Ms Singh said.
“We would like to highlight to members of the society that when you look after your elderly parents or any elder members who are at home, if they’re not taken care of well, if their benefits are not utilised in an appropriate manner, it impacts their mental health directly.
“We wouldn’t like those elderly to come and access our support services because of this, because for us clinicians, it’s something that is preventable.” Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation Lynda Tabuya said similar complaints had been received by the ministry.
Ms Tabuya said it was the responsibility of the recipients that they trust the person who would be receiving the allowance on their behalf.
“It is upon the elderly person to give us a telephone contact because I believe if they are sending that amount by M-PAiSA, then it is going straight to a third party,” Ms Tabuya said.
“If it is in a bank account for that elderly person, then they have got to ensure that they give it to somebody that they trust because that is really all we can do from our end.
“We are not able to logistically deliver that cash to the individual, it is also a safety risk, and it is not recommended in the risk audit that we do not transport or transfer huge amounts of cash to the community.
“If they have given us their bank account which they have their own access card to, then we advise our elderly to give it to a person that they trust to withdraw that money on their behalf.” She said it was important for the elderly to have the freedom to have the money in their own control.