Senior citizens who are part of the Social Pension Scheme have raised concerns over the changing of payment method from voucher to bank mode.

72-year-old Kolinio Meo raised the issue during a question and answer session with the Social Welfare Department.

Meo says senior citizens especially those in the rural areas are greatly affected by this change.

“They are in the rural areas, the post office is the nearest service delivery point that they can go to. Because the number is small, I don’t think they will be many cheques to go to the recipients. We all know about the banks. The banks will charge interest, the more they delay in coming to get their money, with all the dates and charges, there so much Hassle! ”

In response Director Social Welfare, Rupeni Fatiaki says the senior citizens have a right to choose the payment mode they are comfortable with.

Fatiaki clarified some postal agencies don’t have the capacity to pay the recipients in their area and this is where they consider bank mode.

“It is a choice, whether you chose to use bank accounts, or you choose to do manual, that is a choice that you can make. ”

Fatiaki also clarifies that all transaction fees in all senior citizen’s bank accounts are taken care of by the government.

There are about 70,000 recipients of the Social Pension Scheme.