The Ministry of Social Development and Family Services has made strides in addressing pension fraud.
This was announced by Minister Donna Cox during a tour of the Ministry’s new headquarters currently under construction.
She highlighted the measures being taken to ensure compliance, adding that a Memorandum Of Understanding has also been signed with the National Security Ministry to check on the travel patterns of beneficiaries.
“We formed a unit, investigation and compliance unit, and they have been looking at it. We have put more policies and stringent measures in place and, therefore, we asked persons to bring in their passports and so on. So from the passports, we know well their travel patterns. And so that, we have done a lot. For example, when persons have to bring in their life certificate, which is to show that they’re still alive so that they can continue receiving the pension, then, we also look at their travel information. We signed an MOU with the Ministry of National Security Immigration Department so that they can provide us quickly with the information that we need with regards to persons’ travel patterns.”
Following the recent news that several people from T&T have been deported from the United States, Minister Cox said her Ministry is also supporting them.
“We work together with Vision and Mission. And they are like the first responders. So, they do the first intervention with them. And if needed, then the Ministry of Social Development assists.”