‘Grateful’ pensioners laud gov’t’s one-off cash grant 

Seventy-year-old Richard Arjune travelled from Triumph Village, East Coast Demerara, commencing his journey at 06:00hrs to get to the Guyana Post Office in Georgetown to uplift his $25,000 cash grant as promised by President Irfaan Ali

The pensioner has been living on his own for the past five years and oftentimes struggles but with the cash grant, Arjune said things will be easier.

“I feel very good about it because it will help me not only in paying my rent but also to buy food,” he commented.

“I found it hard and banked on the assistance of my daughter and if the money ran out, I had to wait until I got the pension again but now, I am very grateful for this, it was needed,” he told the News Room moments after collecting his grant on Monday.

Hundreds of pensioners like Arjune all across Guyana collected their $25,000 one-off cash grant from the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security on Monday.

When the News Room arrived at the Guyana Post Office, one of the main locations for the distribution in Georgetown, over 30 pensioners sat waiting on their turn.

Joyce Douglas, 74, who suffers from a heart condition and regularly requires medication, said this is where she will be using her cash grant.

“Is me alone, I do not have a husband and I got a lil heart condition so I need my medicine all the time and I will use it to buy my medicine,” Douglas said.

Meanwhile, 82-year-old Jeanette Evans while grateful for the cash grant, bemoaned the high cost of living.

“It look like nuff money but when you go and spend it, then you gon’ see because everything raise now, greens, at the supermarket sugar raise, flour, milk all but you gotta be thankful.”

Gloria, 76, echoed similar sentiments and added that she wished “it could be more.”

Following President Ali’s announcement, the distribution of the $25,000 one-off cash grant will also be given to persons living with disabilities and those on public assistance. The first set of vouchers are being distributed in Regions Four and Seven.

Ministry officials will then be in Regions Five and Six in the second week followed by Regions Eight and Ten during the third week. For pensioners in the remaining regions, the process remains the same.

The one-off vouchers will be valid until November 30, and persons are advised to cash them before then.

The cash grant is keeping with the President’s promise that some 6,500 elderly people will benefit from a $25,000 one-off cash grant, placing an additional $1.6 billion of disposable income in the hands of that section of the population. (Shikema Dey)