State to pay 15 months’ worth of pension

Although Dydan Sahadeo of Chaguanas had enquired from the Central Public Assistance Board (CPAB) to provide him with information on the suspected income he was earning, they never did. It was only when his attorney Anand Ramlogan SC, requested the information under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), did they disclose that Sahadeo was earning $5,000 a month.

Justice Robin Mohammed, presiding in the San Fernando High Court, granted Sahadeo leave on September 26, to seek judicial review of the ministry’s decision and when the case came up for hearing yesterday, attorneys acting for the ministry said that the decision to refuse him, had been reversed. In fact, the judge was told by attorneys acting for the ministry, that Sahadeo will be paid all of his pension retroactively from November 2015 — a total of 15 months worth of pension. On turning 65 in February 2014, Sahadeo applied for Old Age pension and according to documents filed in the High Court by his attorney Ramlogan SC, the CPAB rejected his application.

When he enquired as to the reason, he was verbally informed that he used his vehicle as a taxi. Sahadeo again petitioned the CPAB offices in Chaguanas and the Public Assistance office in Caroni, where he told personnel there that though his vehicle was ‘H”, he used it for family outings and for transporting villagers to the temple where he lives.

A social welfare officer visited Sahadeo’s home and told him that because his vehicle was licensed as a taxi (H), the presumption was that he worked the vehicle as such and was earning an income.

Ramlogan pleaded on Sahadeo’s behalf that he (Sahadeo) had changed his vehicle’s registration from ‘H’ to ‘P’ and in April 2015, reapplied for pension.

He was again denied. Sahadeo then petitioned the Minister of Social Development and Family Services Cherrie-Ann Crichlow Cockburn, but to no avail.