The National Insurance Services (NIS) said it will be making the next two monthly pension payments early.
In a release, the NIS said it has fashioned an advanced pension payment to safeguard the lives and livelihoods of pensioners in order to help them prepare for likely restrictions on opening hours for businesses.
Following today’s last fortnightly pension payment, the next payment will be made on April 3rd, 2020 for a 4-week period March 30th, 2020 to April 25th, 2020, followed by a payment on April 30th, 2020, which will cover the 4-week period from April 27th, 2020 to May 23rd, 2020.
The NIS said this means that the pensioners would not receive their normal fortnightly payments on April 10th, April 24, May 8, and May 22, as they would have already received it in advance.
The next payment date would be June 5th, when pensioners would receive their usual fortnightly payment.
According to the NIS, the rationale for this initiative is to limit pensioner’s interaction into public places which align with the social distancing protocols, minimize the exposure of pensioners to the risk of spreading of COVID-19 as well as to assist pensioners with funds to purchase food, medicine and payment of utility bills before a possible national shutdown/state of emergency.
The National Insurance Services (NIS) continues to monitor the development of COVID-19 and its severe disruptions of lives and livelihoods it’s social and economic impact and the significant of people all over the world.
Epidemiologists suggest that the pandemic has disproportionate impact on persons over the age 60 years with pre-existing conditions.
Unfortunately, our valued pensioners are within this at-risk age-cohort and we must do whatever it takes to protect them.
