Thousands of pensioners in St Vincent (SVG) have received their pension payments following a glitch in the computer processing systems of the NIS (National Insurance Services).
On Friday morning, several pensioners told the St. Vincent Times that their payments were not available as usual. 8036 persons were affected.
On Monday, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves told API that when he was told about the situation, he said it had to be a glitch, which it turned out to be.
“It turned out that that was the case, and they had to process those things manually. So instead of it going into the accounts the morning, it went out about 1:00, I’m told”.
Gonsalves said that information should have been out in the public domain; however, that is something the NIS will have to deal with internally.
The Prime Minister said the matter of the “glitch” was being dealt with over the weekend.
“In fact, they (NIS) were seeking over the weekend to deal with the glitch. They couldn’t do it on Saturday because a few other people, including me, are Seventh-Day Adventists and were not available. When I spoke to the CEO ( seeking over the weekend to deal with the glitch.” They couldn’t do it on Saturday because a few other people, including me, are Seventh-Day Adventists and were not available. When I spoke to the CEO Stewart Haynes, they were actually not only sorting that out but also doing the manuals for the episodic payments like those for sickness benefits, maternity benefits, and funeral grants”.
Those payments tend to be paid on the Monday after the Friday when the NIS would have paid pensions.
Gonsalves said some 7 people were overpaid and 12 were underpaid due to the glitch and that sickness benefits were paid on Monday.
