Dear Editor,
I have been working at Toolsie Persaud for the past 33 years. Three months before my 60th birthday in 2009, I applied for my NIS pension and continued to do so for the past two years. Recently, however, I received a cheque by post for the sum of $113,000 and was told that I am not qualified for a pension, because my employer (Toolsie Persaud) did not pay in my contributions although these were being deducted from my salary. I went to NIS in Camp Street to check how many contributions I have, but was told they had already sent down the file to Brickdam NIS. I approached the NIS clerk at Toolsie Persaud, but she refused to give me any information on my record of NIS contributions.
Editor, I would like the NIS to reply to your newspaper, stating directly why I am not qualified to be an NIS pensioner. I am still working with the company and I have the NIS cheque which I am not accepting. I need my pension.
Yours faithfully,
Mohamed Hoosein
Editor’s note
We are sending a copy of this letter to the PRO of the National Insurance Scheme, Ms Baxter-Lewis, for any comment she might wish to make.