Unbelievable! Just when you think you'd seen and heard it all the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security has managed to provide another jaw dropper.

Thousands of seniors, no doubt enduring the aches that come with old age, daily being forced to stand in long lines in the hot sun hoping to collect the coupons that would enable them to draw down just over $1,700 each month for the rest of the year.

It all started with a statement by Minister in the Ministry, Bibi Shadick, issued through the Government Information Agency (GINA) that a new system was being introduced to reduce fraud unearthed in the old age pension system. The minister spoke at length about the printing of new pension books, setting up a database and direct payments at centres countrywide. She cited two specific cases where, presumably, there was proof that fraud had been committed and mentioned another 72.

However, there was no mention of anyone in the ministry being fired or charged or of the police being called in to investigate this embezzlement of government funds.

Are we to assume that the perpetrators of this fraud are some unknown grannies/grandfathers? Is this new system, suddenly imposed instead of being phased in, meant to punish them?

Advertisements placed in the two dailies advised pensioners that their books could be uplifted at certain centres on given days. In each case, just one social worker was assigned. Surely the ministry must have an idea as to how many pensioners it serves and that they would all turn up on the first day assigned?

One social worker complained that they, who had to interact with the pensioners were not given any opportunity to make any input with regard to the new system. This social worker felt that what was put in place was bureaucratic and would create hardships for pensioners. Another social worker praised the system, concerned only that it would allow employees of the ministry to maintain their good reputations in the face of the allegations of fraud.

The minister has been very apologetic. She noted that the pensioners were apprehensive and urged them to remain calm. She later extended the distribution until the end of March declaring with magnanimity that all books would be handed out, even if it took a year.

The minister may not realise, that while for some the pension was supplementary, for many others, it is their only source of income; that some of these old folks are destitute. They need the money yesterday, small though it is. That is why they are apprehensive; that is why they wait in the long queues for hours; that is why they stormed the centres, because they can't afford to wait!

The system, no doubt, will work eventually, but it is not working now. One pensioner has suggested that perhaps the distribution of coupons should have been done in alphabetical order. This certainly makes sense as fewer pensioners would have been queued up on any given day and the social workers would have been better able to manage their stations. The distribution ought to have started earlier in the month, too. Given that the system is untried, glitches should have been expected.

The current chaos means payments of the actual pension will have to be delayed, which means even more hardship for some pensioners.

Two years ago, the distribution of old age pension books had been twice delayed. Pensioners had stood in long lines at post offices, some fainting in the sun. This column had urged that some method be found to eliminate this, that a system be devised that allowed old age pensioners to uplift these books in a dignified manner. What has happened this year is far worse. This must not be allowed to continue.