Pensioners will reap better benefits

Speaking at last week’s post-Cabinet news conference, Sahadeo said the proposed pension increases will see a minimum widows and widowers pension of $400 per month and an increase in the maternity grant from $2,000 to $2,500 per month. Elaborating on the latter, Sahadeo said a maternity grant could now be awarded on the basis of a father’s NIS contribution if the mother does not qualify.

“This is a totally new initiative because before what you would find is the father contributing to NIS. In the case, where you have wives who may be housewives, before they were unable to benefit,” she explained.

The minister added that this decision by Government means that “where the father is in fact a contributor, it means his spouse can now benefit under the maternity grant whereas in the past the grant was not available.”