By LARA PICKFORD-GORDON Wednesday, October 24 2012

After some delay, the pilot of the Direct Deposit in which senior citizens pensions would be deposited directly into their bank accounts, will begin next month in Sangre Grande, and is due to be nationwide in December. In May, the Ministry of Social Development began advertising the new system and called on senior citizens to sign up.

A pilot project was to be rolled out in Sangre Grande in August, but this did not happen. This week the ministry began advertising in newspapers, the pilot in Sangre Grande, and informed persons who have not signed up, that they would continue receiving cheques.

“Due to inconsistencies in some of the submitted Direct Deposit Application forms, some applicants will not receive their Senior Citizens’ Pension at their financial institutions,” Director of the Social Welfare Division, Vijay Gangapersad said.

Cheques will be issued to those persons.” The persons still getting cheques were advised to visit the Sangre Grande Social Welfare Office for further instructions. Asked why the programme was now being rolled out since it was announced months ago, Gangapersad said some of the information submitted was incorrect and was handwritten illegibly, hence the accounts had to be verified with banks.

In 2010, a total of 73,519 recipients got grants which cost the State $1,750,321,198., the following year it rose to 77,897 who received $2,568,438,789.57.