By Samantha Simon
A former LIAT employee staged a one-person protest yesterday outside the Social Security office on upper Long Street in St John’s, holding signs that read: “All I want for Christmas is my pension from Social Security” and “Forty years contributing to the Social Security pension scheme and now I can’t get my pension.”
The retiree, who told Observer that she submitted her pension paperwork in March, said she has been waiting eight months to start receiving her benefits.
What was initially described as a four-to-six-week delay has stretched into months of uncertainty, with officials citing various reasons including system crashes and backlogs.
“Every time I call, there’s a different answer,” she said during her protest under the blazing midday sun.
According to the woman did not wish to make her identity known, there are pensioners who have been waiting for over four years after applying to receive their benefits.
She said that most recent response from the office indicated she shouldn’t expect resolution before December; however, she was given any specific date.
She added that after making contributions to the Social Security Scheme four decades, she has yet to receive even a preliminary interview to discuss the amount pension due to her.
