I refer to the piece by Social Solidarity Minister Michael Falzon titled ‘Pension enhancements in the best of times’ (February 22).
If an adequate rock bottom revision of €2.17 per week is considered good enough in the best of times, how much would the government be ready to concede in the worst of times?
As for the claim by the government that this €2.17 is the first revision after many years, between 2008 and 2019 (12 years) pensioners received full cost of living adjustment at par with that of workers rather than two thirds. This extra one third now amounts to an aggregate of €10.86 a week. Again, peanuts but so is €2.17 “in the best of times” taking into account that housing rentals have trebled since 2008.
The minister says that pensioners today are enjoying several enhancements in their pension and benefits.
Still, a category of fellow pensioners in receipt of a Treasury pension, myself included, have not yet received a single cent as a result of the pension correction scheme launched by the previous Nationalist administration.
The scheme started with a correction of €466 per annum and increased over the years.
The correction above the 2008 level pensions over and above COLA has now reached €2,466 annually. For some privileged people, though.
This year, my group is again being left out of the fruit of this change. Of course, some pensioners in receipt of the Treasury pension have broken even and are receiving a full uncut social service pension. Thus, those who along the years paid a low social service contribution enjoy a full pension while those who paid the highest contribution and were employed as civil servants in a more responsible post are being trampled upon by way of being denied at least the same amount of benefit (€2,466) as those who paid a lower contribution.
Why was the distribution of the corrective scheme not divided equally among all in the case of those in receipt of a service pension, whose pension from 2008 to date was and is still being deducted?
It is futile and foolish to continue commemorating the dead while we carry out injustice with the living.
We pay our members of Parliament for such balderdash.