More senior citizens will benefit from the Social Pension Scheme as new age eligibility of 66 years comes into effect from next year.

This was confirmed by Permanent Secretary for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation Dr Josefa Koroivueta yesterday.

The eligibility age for the Social Pension Scheme will be reduced from 68 to 66 years from July 2016.

“This is for people who do not receive any other form of pension,” he said.

He said that this was aligned with the manifesto of the FijiFirst Government, that Social Pension Scheme eligibility age will be lowered to 66 years as of July 1, 2016.

“More than 15,000 senior citizens are benefiting from the Government’s Social Pension Scheme,” Dr Koroivueta said.

“The funding for this programme has been increased from $8million to $13m in order to carry out this reform.”

The scheme provides pensions for persons aged 66 years and over who do not have any form of income or pension, or who have never been beneficiaries of a superannuation scheme.

“The disabled and elderly aged 65 years and above will also continue to be assisted with bus fare subsidies to ease the cost of travel,” Mr Koroivueta said.

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