Government Pensioners Urged to Submit Life Certificates on Time

The Accountant General’s Department (AGD) is urging government pensioners and their families to submit quarterly life certificates on time, to ensure pension payments continue without interruption.

The appeal comes as the AGD continues its islandwide Life Certificate Drive, taking the service directly into communities to make the submission process more convenient for pensioners.

Speaking with JIS News following the Portland leg of the outreach activity recently, Director of Communications at the AGD, Ricardo Brooks, said that “compliance is the name of the game. We don’t want any pensioner to face any delay or any disruption in their pension payment, and in order to assist us in ensuring that that happens, the life certificate is crucial to that process”.

Mr. Brooks called on relatives, neighbours and caregivers to help pensioners remember the quarterly deadlines.

“If you know a pensioner in your community or if there’s a pensioner in your household, remind them, because we understand that sometimes people may forget. Once you submit in time, the AGD will ensure that you are paid your pension on time. We understand how important the pension payments are to your everyday life,” the Director added.

He explained that the Life Certificate Drive is designed to remove barriers that may prevent pensioners from meeting the quarterly requirement.

“The life certificate drive is a part of a quarterly series of outreach initiatives that we do whereby we allow government pensioners to stay in their communities. We go to them in the different parishes, different locations, and they can submit their life certificates or get their life certificates printed. We have Justices of the Peace on location who can assist with verification. And it’s all about ensuring that they comply with the requirement that the life certificate be submitted,” Mr. Brooks said.

The life certificates are due four times each year – by January 31, April 30, July 31 and October 31.

They function as verification documents, confirming to the AGD that the pensioner is still alive.

Mr. Brooks stated that there has been a positive response to the Life Certificate Drive, with pensioners welcoming the convenience of having services brought closer to their communities.

Additionally, to further improve accessibility, the AGD has introduced life certificate drop boxes at several parish libraries, in addition to the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service and the AGD head office in Kingston.

Mr. Brooks said the partnership with the Jamaica Library Service was a natural fit.

“In many ways, we still consider the library a central part of our communities. It’s a hub of learning, it’s a hub of information… and our pensioners identified these institutions as central parts of their community. So, it was a no-brainer for us to use them at the locations,” Mr. Brooks said.

Furthermore, the drop boxes have become even more important following disruptions caused by Hurricane Melissa and some post offices (the traditional means of submitting life certificates) being dislocated or not fully operational.

Mr. Brooks said that the AGD will steadily roll out more life certificate drop boxes across the island.

The ongoing Life Certificate Drive will continue in Manchester (Thursday, July 9); St. Elizabeth (Friday, July 10); and Portmore (Saturday, July 11).