DNA candidate ready to sue Social Security for late payments

7
Erica Edwards

A new candidate to the political arena is taking strong issue with the reported non-payment of Social Security benefits to beneficiaries, especially maternity benefits and may go as far as mobilising the nation to get the issue addressed.

Erica Edwards said she is also willing to go before the courts if the Social Security Scheme continues on this path.

Mothers for months have been complaining publicly (via radio) of not receiving maternity benefits several months after the delivery of their babies.

A percentage deduction is taken from an employee’s salary weekly or monthly based on one’s pay period and paid into the Social Security Scheme.

When a woman goes on maternity leave her employer pays her 40 per cent and the scheme pays 60 per cent of her wage or salary.

Edwards says her constituents have been complaining heavily about this matter.

As a mother herself, the Democratic National Alliance (DNA) candidate said she too has experienced first hand the late payment of Social Security funds.

She explained she was told that it would take eight weeks before she gets paid, but she ended up waiting for several months.

This, she said, must no longer be allowed to continue.

“I am really taking this to heart because Social Security is not really saying anything to the people, and I have told my constituents that I am going to mobilize them and we are going to start to take action. It is things like these that push me to be a part of active politics. It took me four months to be paid.

If they (Social Security) continue I am putting them on notice that I am prepared to go as far as taking legal action on behalf of my constituents and I may do a national mobilisation,” Edwards warned.

Edwards said there are vulnerable people in society, low income mothers, who cannot afford to go for any long period with less than half of their salary. This causes a strain on families, especially those who are paid minimum wage or less, she said.

She also made mention of pensioners who often times receive their pensions late. The DNA candidate added that no explanation if offered by the scheme for late payments of maternity benefits or pensions.

“You go and you are being told it takes eight weeks to process, after eight weeks you go back you get no further explanation. It’s just come back next month, maybe it will be ready in four weeks, check us at the end of the month,” Edwards noted.

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7 COMMENTS

  1. “come back next month” is unacceptable!!! That’s what you say to someone who is begging you something.

  2. Why not take the suit a step further and compell the government to begin payments on the $600 million that they owe the scheme….. That right there is the crux of the matter……

  3. Antigua government system is very backwards. The employees have no customer service. I experienced this issue as well with social security and maternity benefits. The postal system is wack the legal system is wack the roads are wack and I can continue.

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