Letters

Widows’ woes at Pensions Dept.

Since 2002, widows entitled to pensions have had to face much harassment to get them.

We no longer receive the pensions by post. We have to keep guessing when the pensions would be paid and when to get the forms. We have to go all the way to the kachcheri, not once, but three or four times for the year.

The forms are issued at the whim and fancy of the Department of Pensions. Sometimes it issues two forms to one person and three to another, the excuse being that only a few forms have been received. I have been to the kachcheri thrice for this year already and seen many feeble, old ladies there with their walking sticks.

This harassment is supposed to stop widows who are re-married from receiving pensions. Why cannot a widow who is re-married, still get the pension, if she wants to?

We appeal to the authorities to have some sympathy on us and post the pensions to us as was done upto 2001

K.M. Wijeyagoonewardena

Kandy