Pension discrimination on the basis of age is currently present in Malta, albeit it is being gradually addressed by the current administration.

What the government has embarked upon is only a partial and painfully lengthy gradual solution that will take nine years to rectify the amount of pension received by those born pre-1962 to bring them in line and at par with the pension received by those born post-1962.

The situation is grossly unfair and unjust. The pensions of those born after 1962 is €82 per week higher than those born pre-1962.

As of this year, out of an estimated 90,000 pensioners, only 10,000 pensioners born pre-1962 started to have their pension deficit decreased. The government has given these pensioners an additional €9.47 per week thus bringing down the deficit to €72 per week. Each year the government budget will allocate an additional amount per week to rectify the anomaly.

Notwithstanding these increases, thousands of pensioners must wait nine long years of discrimination in the amount of pension income because of their age.

To remove this injustice, the government could reduce the nine-year-long waiting time to four by giving a higher additional amount of pension per week to bring pensions of those born pre-1962 in line with those born post-1962, as soon as possible.

 

Anthony Zarb-Dimech

St Julian’s