A former union executive called a one-time 10 per cent pension increase for retirees announced by the Premier last month insufficient to cover the rising cost of living.

Edward Ball Jr — speaking on behalf of seniors — said many were navigating a 2026 economy while skipping bills to meet their priorities.

He cited a pension freeze 14 years ago as the main factor.

The former general secretary of the Bermuda Public Services Union said: “Since 2012, retired public officers have watched their purchasing power vanish.

“True equity is not picking winners and losers within the Public Service family.

“It is time to restore the biennial cost-of-living adjustment to ensure that the men and women who built this country are not forced to choose between their electricity bill and their prescription drugs.”

The claim, in a letter to the editor, came after David Burt, the Premier, said in the Budget Statement for 2026-27 that the pensions boost would be made effective from April 1.

The Premier alluded to the pensions freeze and said retiring workers “should not be left falling further behind” as costs increase.

Mr Ball said 2012 to 2024 represented a decade of “compounding financial erosion” for retirees.

He urged the Government “to stop treating superannuation pension adjustments for retired public officers as an afterthought and start indexing them to the same standards of living applied to the current workforce”.

Mr Ball also called on the unions, including the BPSU, to lobby more aggressively.

He said more than 3,000 retirees depended on the Public Service Superannuation Fund, including seniors who retired 20 or more years ago.

He told The Royal Gazette that between 2012 and 2026, the compounding cost of fuel, electricity and mandatory dental insurance created a “silent tax” on retirees, while daily necessities such as electricity, mobile services and food “are not optional”.

He added: “Over the 2014-24 period, Public Service retirees have effectively lost a cumulative 15.6 per cent in real purchasing power due to missed biennial adjustments that should have mirrored the Consumer Price Index.

“To suggest that equity is being served while current civil servants receive retroactive salary corrections and retired public officers receive only an ad hoc, 10 per cent cost-of-living adjustment as a delayed promise is a fallacy.”

Mr Ball said some retirees in need of costly medications ended up skipping them, unable to foot the costs.

He added that Civil Service retirees also faced difficulties covering co-pay bills, as GEHI benefits failed to keep pace with other local insurance companies' benefits.

The Ministry of Finance acknowledged the concerns raised by the retired public officers.

A statement added that measures have been put in place to cover social welfare and healthcare costs for seniors through schemes such as Government Employee Health Insurance benefits.

A government spokeswoman said retirees pay $502.51 a month for GEHI coverage — which she added does not reflect the full cost of providing the benefit.

“The full cost of GEHI per person is $1,324, and the difference between this full cost and the premium paid by retirees is subsidised by the Government,” she explained.

In addition, she said, Public Service retirees also receive periodic social insurance benefit increases under the Contributory Pension Fund.

She noted that pensions rose 2.4 per cent in 2024 and a further 2.3 per cent in 2025. Overall, the scheme increased by 16.9 per cent since 2017.

The Premier said: “Retirees are living longer, which is positive, but it also means we must take action to protect the long-term stability of the pension and GEHI funds.

“It was necessary to increase GEHI premiums to match the cost of providing this insurance coverage more closely.

“These decisions were not taken lightly, and we recognise the challenges that they may create for some retirees.”

“We have worked, as best as possible, to strike a fair balance between retired and active officers, while ensuring our funds remain financially sound for both today’s retirees and for the future.”