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🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago /Economy & Trade

Please increase the old-age pension

From Trinidad Express · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Opinion Sources not specified Context piece
  • The writer argues that the upcoming budget should raise the old-age pension as elderly people struggle with food, medicine and utility costs.
  • Proposed measures include expanding the Senior Citizens’ Grant, subsidising prescription drugs, freezing utility rates and increasing funding for Meals on Wheels.
  • The appeal comes as the government projects about $55 billion in revenue and $59 billion in spending, while national insurance contributions are expected to rise to 16.2% in 2026.

The writer, who expects to become a pensioner in two years, says older people are being forced to make painful choices between essential medicines, food and household bills.

The commentary describes elderly shoppers putting items back at supermarkets and pensioners asking pharmacies to process prescriptions one at a time. It argues that the upcoming budget should raise the monthly old-age pension, framing the demand as a matter of dignity rather than generosity.

When yuh old, time does move slow but bills does move fast.

— The writer’s motherThe saying captures the commentary’s argument that fixed-income retirees cannot wait for future improvements while costs rise now.

The writer questions the focus on increasing National Insurance contributions to 16.2% in 2026 for long-term sustainability, asking what protection exists for people who are already retired. The budget projects roughly $55 billion in revenue and $59 billion in spending, and the writer says even a small redirection toward seniors could provide relief.

Beyond a higher pension, the commentary proposes raising the income threshold for the Senior Citizens’ Grant, creating an ongoing prescription drug subsidy, and freezing or discounting water and electricity rates for pensioners. It also calls for more funding for Meals on Wheels, saying homebound seniors face long waiting lists because the programme is chronically underfunded.

That’s not healthcare; that’s a death sentence.

— The writerThe writer criticises pensioners’ need to ration or halve their tablets because of medicine costs.
About this summary

Originally published by Trinidad Express in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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