News | Sunday, 14 December 2008

PRINT THIS ARTICLE

Hundreds get chopped off ‘boarded out’ pension

Matthew Vella
430 former recipients of invalidity pension have lost their right to the coveted government handout, after new laws last year introduced an annual revision of claims.
‘Boarded out’ workers – so called because a board of doctors has to review their invalidity claim to stop working and receive a pension – are no longer guaranteed a lifetime of government handouts.
In July 2007, social security laws were amended to synchronise government handouts with the degree of impairment of workers. Additionally, workers who get pensioned off are reviewed every year to see if they are still entitled to the benefit, abolishing the lifelong pension.
Between July 2007 and October 2008 there have been 1,584 cases reviewed, with 430 of them not qualifying for the pension.
Invalidity pension is payable to persons deemed permanently incapable for suitable full-time or regular part-time employment. There are various rates according to different conditions. In 2007 there were 1,608 beneficiaries of invalidity pension, and a further 6,526 beneficiaries of the national minimum invalidity pension. The total expenditure for government was over €35 million.
Over 60% of invalidity claimants in 2005 were found to have been boarded out on the grounds of psychiatric problems.
The island of Gozo, which constitutes less than 8% of the Maltese population, accounts for 15% of all those currently receiving an invalidity pension.

Any comments?
If you wish your comments to be published in our Letters pages please click button below.
Please write a contact number and a postal address where you may be contacted.