Dear Editor,
It would appear that when one becomes a pensioner he/she is cast aside and only lives a day-to-day life until the ‘roll is called up yonder.’ There are many laws, beneficial agreements, deals, partnerships and promotions from which pensioners are excluded. It is disgusting when pensioners approach some business entitles to have loans or access credit arrangements and are told that they are pensioners and as such cannot be considered for such services.
Persons tend to look at pensioners as discarded materials waiting to be incinerated. Yes we might be receiving a monthly pension, but most of us still have the desire and expectation to achieve something more out of life, and therefore having access and being eligible to participate and enjoy those arrangements, deals and promotions can assist in achieving our goals.
Recently there was a promotional deal at a city bank. I went and was interviewed only to be told that I was a pensioner and as such was not qualified. Two points to be noted here are that I celebrated my 60th birthday the week before the interview, and secondly I was involved in several transactions with that bank before and was even given a letter of credit because of the way I completed those transactions.
Similarly a friend of mine who is also a pensioner was refused a hire purchase request he made, although he had successfully completed several other hire purchase arrangements with the said business enterprise. The reason for the refusal was that he was a pensioner. The value of pensioners can be seen and recognized at election time, because the votes of the pensioners are crucial at that specific period.
On election day we can observe the help and assistance given to pensioners to get them to the polling place to cast their vote. It is with that same commitment that I would like to see the affairs and well-being of pensioners addressed. Remember, we played our part in this society before becoming pensioners.
Yours faithfully,
Colin Gill
