By Chantalé Fletcher
NO pension and disability cheques will be cashed at groceries in February and March.
But such cheques can be cashed at the Treasury and banks.
This according to Minister of Social Development and Family Services Donna Cox in answer to an Urgent Question by Chaguanas East MP Vanadana Mohit on Friday.
Mohit asked Cox about the measures that will be adopted to bring immediate relief to those affected by the theft of Social Welfare Grants in the Sangre Grande area.
On Monday 1,836 pension, disability and food card cheques were stolen from the Sangre Grande Post Office.
Since then, the Ministry of Social Development and Family Services has published the numbers of the stolen cheques and prevented encashing them at groceries.
Stating that it was not happy with this arrangement, the Supermarkets Association of Trinidad and Tobago called for better security facilities to be put in place.
In response to an urgent question, Cox said, “No cheques will be honoured, cashed at supermarkets between February and March.”
When asked by Mohit how people would survive for the next two months, the minister responded, “Everyone else would have received their cheques and there were other areas in which they can cash their cheques, Treasury, banks and so on.
“And there were other persons who are on direct deposit, their money will be going straight to the bank.”
Cox said the ministry has made arrangements to have the cheques reprinted and dispatched to the beneficiaries on or before February 9.
