The expected pension piecemeal increases, intended to bring those pensioners who were born before 1962, eventually in line with younger pensioners’ higher entitlements, will probably be announced in the forthcoming budget.
If this supposed “remedy” stops there, it will, by its very nature, further prolong the injustice being suffered by this discriminated class of older pensioners, considering that they should also be paid arrears that the expected protracted payment adjustment scheme will obviously create.
By way of example, if these older pensioners are going to be granted a partial €100 monthly top up, over and above the cost of living’s, the government would still owe them another €250 for the opening month, and monthly thereafter (reduced proportionally by the monthly shortfall actually remaining over the years) until parity is reached with younger pensioners’ pensions.
Quite obviously, however, this would not suffice to balance things out, given that considerable arrears, relating to all the previous years’ short paid pensions (interest due apart) should also form part of the equation; unless the state intends to fail to honour its obligations, in this regard.
It is worth recalling that this premeditated discriminatory pension “anomaly” had been proposed by a Nationalist Party Administration and was subsequently, adopted by the incumbent Labour Party Government; this meaning that both parties had given the nod to short pay all these affected older pensioners some €350 monthly!
Interestingly, MPs on both sides of the political divide, even those who serve for a single five-year legislature, have by their / their predecessors’ mutual consent, awarded themselves a privileged two thirds uncapped pension, that currently, very roughly, averages €36,000 p.a. which more, or less, doubles the maximum pension (again very roughly) capped at around €18,000 p.a., payable to those born after 1962.
These thousands of pensioners who have been discriminated against for so long will not be satisfied with crumbs, but justifiably expect to finally be treated fairly. Anything that falls short of this, would be adding, not easily forgiven insult, to very substantial financial injury.
We will soon know if some form of acceptable overall remedy will materialise, or if the government intends delaying such redress (whether, or not, with the opposition’s tacit consent, remains to be seen) to allow sufficient time for the grim reaper to step in and bail out the Exchequer; who paradoxically, is very generous where other sectors are concerned.
J-P Azzopardi
Swieqi