DSWD Warns Senior Citizens of Pension Scam

The Department of Social Welfare and Development – Negros Island Region (DSWD-NIR), through its acting regional director Shalaine Marie Lucero, issued a warning of a pension scam to senior citizens in Negros Oriental. They ought to be wary of persons who pose as DSWD employees and collect registration fees in connection with the social pension program for indigent Filipino senior citizens.  She advised them to look for valid DSWD identification cards.

This program provides a monthly stipend of P500 for senior citizens who are 60 years old and above, frail, sick or with disability, indigent, no monthly pension from the Social Security System (SSS) and/or the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) or from any private insurance company, and have no source of income or assistance from family members to regularly support their basic needs.

Lucero clarified that the department does not require anybody to pay registration fees to be part of this program.  All the senior citizens have to do is to go to the nearest Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) and fill up the application forms for the Social Pension program.  These will then be assessed by the city/municipal social welfare and development officers and/or focal persons.  The final list of qualified senior citizens will be approved by Lucero.