Older women will get pensions…soon

On Tuesday Cabinet formally put its stamp of approval on a policy to provide all Belizean women age sixty-five and over with a pension, whether or not they had worked outside the home or contributed to Social Security. But if you fall into that category don’t be in any rush to pick up your cheque. Although the release from Cabinet says the plan will be implemented beginning April first, and asks qualified women to apply to the Social Security Board, a call to that body reveals that they’re not quite ready. An application form is yet to be designed and, according to an S.S.B. spokesman, the size of the pension has not yet been determined. These details should be ironed out over the next few weeks. In the meantime, prospective applicants are asked to make sure they have a valid social security card as this will be one certain requirement to collect the pension. The pension programme was a major promise made by the People’s United Party in its recent election manifesto. It is expected that as many as five thousand Belizean women may be eligible for payments under the new policy.