Aging is not an avoidable circumstance in the journey of life. With that reality in mind, the issue of social protection for the elderly should be an important topic for the younger generation of Belize.
According to the recently completed Country Poverty Assessment, a large percent of older persons here are living in poverty. Besides, the Situational Analysis of Older Persons in Belize has also indicated that the majority of older persons do not receive any form of pension, or benefits. With the increasing numbers of elderly persons in the country, there is the need to provide greater financial protection in old age.
In a five-hour and a half meeting held today at St. Catherine’s Academy on Hudson Street, the National Council on Aging (NCA), with the collaboration of Help Age, introduced the idea of an universal pension and how that idea could function in Belize once implemented.
Universal social pensions are regular cash payments paid to older citizens by governments and, unlike the contributory pension, they don’t require previous contributions from the citizen.
With economic recession, the elderly Belizean is susceptible to poor nutrition, health and housing. Of those who receive monthly pensions, the majority spend it in the household providing for grandchildren, also buying uniforms and books. This is a common situation, as Jeff James, regional representative from Jamaica, highlighted today. It is seen throughout most Caribbean countries, he said.
Also, the elderly experience neglect by family members. In a study carried out by Help Age Belize in 2002, older persons cited loneliness as one of their most significant concerns, and they said that they felt neglected even when living with families, because they were rarely included in conversation and family events.
In today’s meeting the elderly all agreed that one of the major problems encountered is the difficulty in obtaining medication and getting regular health check-ups.
A universal social pension, as was explained by Charles Knox, British Consultant and Social Protection Officer in London, would reduce these problems and the substantial poverty among the older generation.
With countries such as New Zealand, Mexico, Botswana and Mauritius already having implemented the universal social pension for the elderly, Knox says that the birth rates in some of these countries have decreased, because there was once the idea that parents should give birth to as many children as possible so as to secure their economic safety when they aged.
But although some countries have implemented the universal social pension, the worldwide situation of the elderly is alarming. Reportedly, 340 million elderly people don’t have income security and if the issue remains unaddressed, it is expected that by 2050, 1.5 billion people will suffer from poverty.
This is one of the main reasons why the National Consultation in Belize is advocating for this universal social pension for the elderly in Belize.
In today’s meeting, the question of feasibility was raised – whether or not the project could be implemented in Belize and form part of a legislative piece.
Knox believes it is workable. The project, according to him, is affordable and effective, reaching out to the most remote parts of the world. As a matter of fact, he says it would cost only about 2% of the government’s expenditure.
Jeff James from Jamaica, who highlighted social pensions in the Caribbean.
James spoke to Amandala, saying that he has been visiting Belize from 1998, and since then he has noted that Belize stands out in relation to the number of organizations working with older people.
“I think that one of the things that stands out is the fact that you have quite a number of organizations working with the older people in Belize, which you don’t find elsewhere. The other thing is the structure which extends throughout the country. You have the VOICE organization in different parts of Belize, different branches of organizations in the country and so, you have a well coordinated structure providing services for the elderly.”
The one-year project, according to James, is expected to terminate within the next six months.
Once studied and reviewed, the universal social pension idea will be presented to Cabinet.