Most of the Goverment Agencies h ave special provisions for Seniors who should not be affected by a rise in the cost of of living.

Do you know that B.E.C. has no provisons for Senior Citizens?

Are you aware that even though gas and electricity has risen considerably this year the seniors pension is still 200.00 per month. you and I who make that a week are unable to keep up with our bills so imagine those persons who over the years have become accustomed to a certain standard of life and now can't even afford to have the basic amenities? Do you know they disconnect them? Do you know we have many seniors right here in the capital living with out electricity and water because they simply can't afford them?

We need to lobby for parliament to pass laws for considerations for our Seniors. One day we will if we live long enough be in that shoe. I hope you all are planning your retirement, even though you can't plan for the cost of living after you already retire.

Mel

could not agree more. It's as if everyone works until they just drop dead without any recognisable pension capable of supporting the old folks. I have seen this in my own family, believe me and yes we bound together and dealt with it, but how many other people can really do that. The high cost of these utilities to our senior citizen must be addressed through a Senior Citizen discount card program. The cards can be presented whenever they have to pay their utility bills and perhaps even extended to the local grocery stores whom may want to offer discount prices to the senior citizen upon presentation of the cards. Its time we really do something to relieve the stress and financial frustration thats beared by our seniors. We don't have to wait on government for this perhaps this is also a good business opportunityfor someone to create and of course utiltize the sponsorship of the various private business houses to develop it.
I'm in to assist if there are any takers to this suggestion

Most of Our Senior citizens need more then a discount card. You have to have some money to even take out a discount card.

Most of them can't afford medications . While the hospital do give Seniors their medicine free, most of the time they don't even have the drug that they need.

Bahamas Electricity Corporation needs to put in place a system where once they have identified a senior that is having difficulty they immediately refer them to Social Service who can do an accessment and recommend them to B.E.C. for some further consideration whether in a rebate or discount or a different kind of payment plan then what exists today.

If your light is disconnected today, they ask you to bring in 80% of the bill before they reconnect you. How can a senior who only gets 200.00 a month be expected to bring in 80 % when electricity has gone from 100.00 a quarter to 150 a month for the same amount of usage.

Even for non seniors B.E,C needs to be more reasonable, so imagine their policy towards the Seniors.

Mel

Another thing I think should be done is introduce some law or incentive to encourage big companies to set up a pension plan for their employees. I believe there are many fairly large businesses in the Bahamas that don't pay their employees a pension upon retirement!

This causes the sort of vicious circle where after working you fingers to the bone all your life, thereby losing your health to gain some wealth -- then after retirement, you spend your little accumulated wealth to regain your health!

Seems that the Bahamas generally is not seniour citizen friendly! Some stores who offer cash and seniour citizen discount would not grant it to you unless you remind them about it!