Pensions provide small support for elderly

A plan to roll out monthly pensions for the elderly remains mired in a logistical tangle – and those who qualify could receive as little as K15,000 a year.

While the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement received the green light in December 2014 to implement a full lifecycle social welfare scheme, the chronically cash-strapped sector was once again allotted a pittance in the 2015-2016 annual budget.

Given the minimal funding for the social pension – just K500 million (US$386,000) for the year – the ministry announced it would attempt a severely restricted version, and would start by granting pensions to all citizens 90 years and older.

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