Senior citizen runaround

My mother who is an old age pensioner went to collect her first cheque from the post office in September, 2005 only to be told that the cheque was not there. My mother and I went to the Social Welfare Office in the Aranguez area and were told that the cheque was posted out since July 2005.

We then went back to the post office and enquired again about the cheque, this time we were told that the cheque did come back but went back to TT Post on August 23, when no one came to collect the cheque.

We went to the Social Welfare office and my mother signed that she did not receive the cheque and was told to call the Aranguez Office within three weeks to find out what or if she could collect the cheque.

I have been calling Aranguez Office and talking to Mr Mahabir who referred me to the Head Office in Port-of-Spain and I have been going around in circles and by the end of December the cheque will be stale dated.

I spoke to Ms Mc Intosh in Head Office who said that there was an error on the cheque where Deceased was placed and she has spoken to the manager of TT Post who informed her that the cheque was returned on October 28 but the department has not received the said cheque as yet. I spoke to her on November 9, 2005 and she communicated to me that TTPost should deliver it by the end of the week.

I called back again on November 14 only to be told that Ms Mc Intosh was not in office and will not be in office on the 15th either and as such there is no one else who can assist me with this matter.

Tell me what is happening to people in these offices? If one worker does not come out to work nothing can happen until that person comes out.

ELIZABETH FERGUS

Belmont