Unconfirmed seamen benefits to stop next month
(CNS): Seamen's benefits thathave not been certified will stop in one month's time, government officials have said as they encouraged those who have not yet submitted certificates to do so as quickly as possible. Government has extended the deadline for those retired seamen who receive the benefits by eleven more days to give almost a third of those listed a chance to respond before the grants are suspended. The Ministry of Community Affairs said the deadline to submit Seamen Continuation Certificates has passed, but with 30% of the certificates still outstanding, an extension has been made to 6 September. However, grants will be stopped by Thursday 26 September unless the relevant paperwork has been completed.
The new certificates along with an affidavit of income form must be filed by former seamen who want to continue receiving an ex gratia grant from government.
“The objective of the certificates is not to deprive seamen of their payments, but to confirm those who need the benefits are getting them,” officials said, adding that the certificates are there to ensure that the ministry’s records concerning grant recipients are current.
Expressing his appreciation to the seamen who had already submitted their paperwork, Premier Alden McLaughlin, who is also the minister for community affairs, thanked them for helping to ensure accurate records management. “Such participation is vital to government accountability,” he added.
Going forward, continuation certificates will be issued every two years for recipients to complete and return to the ministry, the government stated, explaining that the certificates were implemented in February following recommendations by internal auditors to ensure accuracy and accountability.
Recipients are encouraged to contact the ministry whenever a change in their personal details occurs. Medical certificates are also required for those who are disabled or housebound, or those who travel overseas for extended period of time for medical purposes.
For more information, contact the ministry at 244-2424.
Category: Local News
Now you need to work on the uncomfirmed, unqualified, and or non performing civil servants. Think of the many millions that could be saved there.
What are the unconfirmed benefits of seamen? I like the sound of that.
Been telling my wife about that for ages…but she still not playing the game…
If a seaman is in a good financial position and refuses this grant then that should be their choice, or perhaps he wants to direct the monies to be paid to a certain worthy cause, but dont tell me that he dont qualify because he had ambition to achieve something. Also it was the hardest working seamen that achieved much.
My Great Great Great Grand Father was one of the seamen that Johnny Depp made walk the plank in the movie Pirates of the Caribbean – can I apply for a Seaman's Pension too?
Not until the owl and the pussycat hav theirs approved.
Praise the Lord! someone is finally taking the bull by the horn in this depressing matter. Give unto Ceaer what is for Ceaer and unto able bodied (Caymanian)seamen what they have ventured their lives for on the high seas. I said before and I say again, these funds should (ONLY) be distributed to Caymanian seamen and their wives of the 40's, 50's and 60's (wives who born in these islands) and were here taking care of our families while our men were at sea. Why should these Johnny just come here homewreckers destroy marriages, marry our old men for conveniences, bring their other family member in and also collect monies that rightfully belong to our Caymanian women who over the years cut thatch and use firepans to keep away mosquitoes. The rights of our forefathers, our culture and our history is being slapped aside and true born Caymanians are fast becoming endangered species. It is a crying shame the lopholes that certain people are allowed in our island to destroy our people. In fact, no families should be receiving these monies after the late 70's as I think Southwell had stop calling seamen by then (check the archives). The words status, permenant residency, rights to work, paper Caymanians, rollover, rights to this, rights to that etc. had never found usage in this country. If you want to prove what I have said, just consider attending the next Seafearers meeting "surprise"! My father was a seamen until his death some 16 yrs ago and as much as I visited Miss Gwen Bush and Mr. Isaac Tatum old Seamans office in the old Rembro Building on Fort Street, I never saw a Jamaican, Honduran or Phillipano seaman. But today, go to the Seafearing Meeting. Wonders! May God bless Caymanian as we strive to continue to live peacefully in our Island, whats left of it!
amazing to see theignorance regarding their own fathers, who may have gone to sea, however my suspicion is that these detractors are not Caymanian and don’t even know our history and who are benefiting from what the seamen started, do they know anything about Cayman before banking and tourism? I am sure they would never want to live here during the 50’s and 60’s when times were hard and the seamen monies kept the place alive. Again I bet thesefolks are not native Caymanian and don’t know anything about Cayman.
And I bet you have no first hand knowledge or any facts to back up your suspicions and no hard earned cash to back up your bet. Is it your culture talking? Or just your hate?
here is my story: as a mid forty's man, i come from a generation where my father spent 30+ years of his life at sea on national bulk carriers…(googledaniel k. ludwig if you need more info) …was the sole provider for a family of four siblings (all for the same mother by the way)…my mother (his wife & not this damn baby mother crap you see now-a-days) never had to work a day in her life because our father did what fathers/husbands are suppose to do…all monies were sent back to the island to pay 'bills' at grocery stores, schooling & utilities…he never accepted one gov't hand out until this pension initiative was introduced a few years back…and we had to convince him to take it….now all of you naysayers tell me that my father and other fathers who did likewise and still around, isn't derserving of a pension in what is likely a very few years left of their lives. my children have benefited from their grandfather being a mariner listening in awe of the stories of the four corners of the world….it is a joy to see them google ships he tells them about and watch the glee in his eyes when they show him these on the computer….and yes the start of his many sea adventures was turtling but for a few years at age 14 when men became men back then to help his parents & 6 siblings out (again married/not baby mothers)…..people were very poor back then and not like it is today…. he finally went off to national bulk carriers at 17years and spent the next 35 years at sea…i saw very little of my father (twice a year) but when dad was home he was home and it was a joy to welcome dad at the airport…i never quite understood it as a teenager but as a father/husband today i now fully appreciate more and more why my father was around for only two months of the year and it wasn't because he didn't want to…he simply did what he had to do and what it took to provide for his family…alot of the naysayers never experience what i have just outlined and so will never understand what it was like being the child of a seaman…its my story and i wouldn't change it for the world….my children love it and my wife love hearing the many travels and experiences…now tell me my father isn't deserving of some recognition by gov't for all he did during his days at sea..every single dime came to these islands and not what is happening today; all going out via money transfers…and no he does't accept social service (lazy people) pay out…now that is where the gov;'t should start getting a grip…
Nobody begrudges your father the pension. The problem is that there are people your age who never did anything other than fish off the ironshore who are collecting those same benefits. It is a disgrace to your father that these people are collecting those benefits, and all because of how they would cast their vote in an election.
so if your father is millionaire land owner..should he still recieve hand-outs?
Chief Auditor should check those in the CS that are out on medical/workmans comp retirement and collecting large monthly checks — can't do the job in CS , but are out working in the private sector or own businesses– they should be required to do a yearly recertification also — if they are able to hold down jobs while in the private sector bring them back and make the do the job they where hired to do, the least they can do is man a desk somewhere— those with serious/life threating problems need only to be checked and certified once —
I thought that the grant was because you went to sea. If you have a good income then that is a social service issue, not a Seamans benefit issue. If it goes like that then for Gods sake just call it a Social service benefit. I heard of a 92 year old woman and a true born Caymanian at that whose husband benefits was taken from her with the stupid excuse that she has apartments. She and her husband worked very hard together to achieve them, however she had one of them unrented for two years and another room that the tenant could not pay for another 17 months because of not having any work. Her husbands grant was taken from her the very day that he died. These things are only happening when you dont support certain people as was in her case. At 92 years old how much longer do you think that Government will have to pay monies out to her? This grant should be retracted and given to the poor ambitious soul. Looks to me like Government likes to encourage those that do not try to help themselves.
This is the first time that I have heard of this.
all recipients of state aid should be means tested…..
Good. Now we can afford our own "Sally".
Correction, The Seafarers Association , gave the Robot Sally for the use of the populance, you and me. Now the Ex-gratia Payment to needy seamen does not come through Seafarers in fact many who are receivng this stipend are not members, Please get informed before you say things that bears no relavance. this just show your dislike for the folks who built this island. By the way not all seamen are alike. There are a lot of workers who are not deserving, but who is complaining.
Good. Thank you Mr. Premier. Stopping the waste will help this that really need the aid and assist in lowering taxes. Just please make sure that anyone lying on the affidavits is both detected and treated as the fraudster they are.
Good news! There are many spouses receiving whose deseased husbands never went to sea for a day. Time to put a stop to this game for money. It will be shocking to know who receive and a list should be published so the public can see the dishonest ones who receive pension..
All seamen that went to sea should be eligible for the grant. Some went and did not do too well with their moneys, while others put theirs to good use. Those that did good with theirs should not be penalized for the ones that wasted theirs. Some Caymanians that went to sea came back and built rentals etc that we all know are not a reliable income. Do you all think that those persons should not be eligible as well?
Thank God some discipline is finally being used in this seamens handout nonsense to stop the fraud that is going on and has been going on for many many years. Some of them never even deserved it from the beginning because they just went out in turtle boats to Honduras and came back with turtles. Why the hell should they get anything? Caymanians of a certain type don't like "auditors" and "continuation certificates" on the basis that "we are Caymanians, we are entitled to this". But civil servant pensioners have to do it every year to make sure people are not collecting fordead people. Seamen need to have the same discipline. If they don't comply, stop the handout.
It will be interesting to see how many people are collecting checks for their deceased grandaddies