By Trudy Simpson, Staff ReproterSENIOR CITIZENS are demanding more help from Government as their living conditions worsen.
Several golden agers yesterday blasted Government for harsh conditions which, they say, are eating into the
meagre benefits they receive.
"From the Government and the Opposition, we had a lot of mouth-lip talk. We tired of that. We are going down and we have had too many so-called promises from the Government with no backing. Right now, we talk about poverty. It's a big business in Jamaica especially among the elderly," said 80-year-old Rev. Eardley Gammon.
"I used to have money, but today I bruk," he said during the official launch of HelpAge International's older citizens' monitoring pilot project (OCM) held at the Medallion Hall Hotel in St. Andrew.
"Food Stamp is a death row and them have one whey tek over now called PATH (Programme for Advancement through Health and Education). It's a stunt. It's not an honest programme...The Government needs to do something for us as elderly and ageing people."
He said it was kindness and money from people which allowed him to fill his gas tank to travel from St. Elizabeth to Kingston for the meeting and "faith in God" which has kept him out of a doctor's office for decades, he added.
STRUGGLING FINANCIALLY
Research from the first phase of the pilot project showed several senior citizens are struggling financially, lack information about PATH or often had problems with the means testing approaches where difficult questions were asked, and were offended by the poor attitudes of persons carrying out the registration process.
Several, like Eva Straw, 81, are unable to pay to make repairs to their houses. Many are also unable to keep up with rent. In rural areas especially, they complained that they did not have telephones and had to fork out large sums for transporting water from public tanks or springs. Several also do not have toilets.
Faith Innerarity, Director of Social Security in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, sought to assure the seniors they were not being left out in cold. Programmes like PATH, she said, are "not to exclude but to allow senior citizens to receive more meaningful benefits."
There are several activities and programmes available for seniors, she added. But despite reassurance, seniors like Ms. Straw were still not confident that the programme would assist in any way to alleviate their problems.
