THE Department of Social Welfare and Development is scheduled to release monthly pension checks amounting P500 to indigent senior citizens 65 years old and above.
The age qualification for indigent senior citizens eligible to receive a social pension was lowered from 77 years old to 65 years old. It was approved under the General Appropriations Act for CY 2015.
It is hoped that more senior citizens will benefit from it.
Based on Republic Act No. 9994 or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010, indigent senior citizens or those 60 years old and above are entitled to monthly pension, however, due to limited government resources only those 77 and above were covered by the law up to 2014, the DSWD said.
DSWD Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman said that with the lower age requirement, more economically disadvantaged senior citizens can have additional cash to spend for their basic needs such as medicines and nutritious food to support their well-being.
Who are the qualified indigent senior citizens?
DSWD reiterated that only qualified to receive the P500 monthly stipend are senior citizens who are frail, sickly, or have disabilities; are not receiving pension from Social Security System (SSS), Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), or Veterans Pension; and do not have a permanent source of income or regular support from relatives.
The DSWD said that the pension is distributed every quarter through cash payment by DSWD Field Offices or city/municipal social welfare and development offices.
The first release is scheduled in April 2015.
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