By Own Correspondent| The National Social Security Authority (Nssa) has approved a pension payout of more than 200 percent that will be paid this month but backdated to October.
According to a notice from the authority gleaned by the state media, pensioners will now receive a minimum monthly payout of $240 up from $80 while the maximum payout has been increased to $6 041,97 from $2 013.99.
According to the schedule, a pensioner’s widow/er will now receive a minimum $159,99 from $53,33. The maximum payout in the category has been increased from $1 498 to $4 494.
Although Nssa could not readily confirm the adjustments, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Mr Simon Masanga, confirmed the increase but referred questions to the Minister, Dr Sekai Nzenza.
“They are being revised upwards but the minister will give you more details in regards to that. They are revised as from October 2019 but effective from November. Nssa on the other hand has been sensitive to the plight of the pensioners and they will get an increment,” he said.
Dr Nzenza also confirmed the increase but said it was awaiting approval from the Treasury.
“I am currently reviewing the board proposal for pension’s increments. I will then consult Treasury. I am positive that we will have an increase in Nssa pensions before end of the month,” she said.
The schedule, also showed that dependants’ payouts will be increased from a minimum allowance of $17 to $51 while the children’s allowance has been increased from $15 to $45.
Constant Attendant Allowance will be 80 percent of minimum pension. Nonetheless, despite the 200 percent increase, the lower end of payouts still remain significantly low for pensioners due to continued increase of prices of basic commodities. Before the increase some of the pensioners had stopped travelling to towns to access the money because it was no longer enough even to cover for transport costs.
Meanwhile, as part of continuously cushioning the aged and vulnerable members of the community, the Government has stepped up efforts to increase food distribution in urban areas.
Last week, food distribution commenced in Mahatshula, Bulawayo where people were given 50 kilogrammes of maize. The programme is being spearheaded by the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare.
The state media reported that initially such programmes were targeting rural people but the Government discovered that thousands of people were food insecure in urban areas.
Dr Nzenza said that the programme was targeting a total of 25 237 beneficiary households collectively, disaggregated as 12 968 and 12 269 beneficiaries in Bulawayo and Harare, respectively.
Priority, she added, is being given to high-density suburbs that have a “high concentration of poverty” according to the country’s poverty map. Government childcare workers are identifying vulnerable children from vulnerable households in schools.
-StateMedia