– has been contributing to scheme since 1969

A 62-year old retiree who had worked and paid NIS contributions since 1969, got the shock of his life when in 2012 he retired at age 60 and on applying for pension, was told by the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) that he is not entitled to pension, since he does not have the required amount of contributions.

Bidiadhar Deokarran of Goed Fortuin Squatting Area, West Bank Demerara, said that since this was told to him, he has been running back and forth between the NIS Offices in Georgetown and his various places of employment to verify that he was indeed making payments, However, he is still getting no place with the NIS.
“Look, I working and paying NIS since 1969 when the scheme started. At that time I was earning $3.20 per day. Ah work at Guysuco (Versailles), Demerara Distillers Ltd. Barama, Toolsie Persaud, Giftland and more, and all the time I paying NIS.”
He said he learnt that a contributor is required to have 352 contributions before they can qualify for sick benefits. Well, I been getting sick benefits eversince the 1970s, so how will they explain that? he questioned.
Deokarran said that prior to retiring he checked with the NIS and was told that he had already made 357 contributions and that the required amount to qualify a contributor for pension is 750. From then on he kept calculating regularly and is confident that he has amassed the750 and more than that.
“In fact I should have anything like 2,500 contributions,” Deokarran said.
The distraught retiree said that at one time the NIS sent him to Versailles to find out about his contributions. At Versailles he was told that the office had been shut down and so they sent him on to Wales. At Wales, he was told that the Versailles office had a fire, so very likely, those records would have been misplaced. On account of this, he was re-directed to NIS.
“But what I cannot understand, is that even if a workplace had wind, rain or fire, that should not affect NIS records, since NIS is the custodian of their own records. How come I was told at one time that I had the required amount of contributions, and now that it is time to pay me, the contributions short? This is serious business, I am not begging them for anything. NIS was deducted from my pay and so this is my entitlement,”Deokarran argued.
Expressing disgust, he recalled the many times NIS has had him back and forth. “ They had me from Vreed-en-Hoop to Leonora to Brickdam to Ogle and still the running ain’t done. I am fed up. I am frustrated. All the years ah working, ah paying them. Now that I’m not working and looking to get something from what they been putting up for me, ah can’t get it.”
Deokarran recalled that his twin brother went through the same sort of harassment, and died without ever getting a cent of the pension that was due him. And with him on Monday, was another retiree who has suffered a stroke and is forced to go trekking back and forth on a similar run-around.
The aggrieved Deokarran is using this medium to bring this matter to the attention of the “higher authorities” at NIS, he says, so that an investigation could be launched swiftly, with a view to having his payment expedited.
This newspaper sought to get a comment from the National Insurance Scheme, but the Public Relations Officer could not be reached and all others contacted were reluctant to speak on the matter.

(By Shirley Thomas)