Government's Social Assistance programme.

Director of Financial Assistance Olga Scott yesterday responded to claims this week that seniors are finding it difficult to survive on only a Government pension of just over $7,000 a year.

Mrs. Scott suggested seniors can contact her department if they require assistance and said they need not worry about Government interference on their property or assets.

More than 300 people or between 25 and 30 percent of the people on social assistance are senior citizens, which translates to about ten percent of the households receiving help.

"All of our clients are treated with respect, professionalism and confidentially,'' Mrs. Scott said in a conference room in the department's offices on the second floor of Global House on Church Street.

She said case workers will often meet resistance from seniors when they are asked to provide certain information.

Senior social worker Douglas Tucker told of one incident in which an elderly woman refused to cooperate with an evaluation, fearing Government would take her property.

"With people living independently on their own properties, we will work with them,'' Mr. Tucker said. "When they do come in they'll have a lot of questions.

"And we try to answer them as quickly as possible, giving them a really good picture,'' he added. "When they appreciate that fact, they are more forthcoming with their information.'' Mrs. Scott explained seniors may still have the impression "from a previous time'' that the department would not be helpful except in the most extreme cases.

In addition to general assistance, the Social Assistance programme will help seniors who live on their own, are head of a household, and seniors who are in rest homes. Other seniors who are sent to daytime nursing care are also provided for, as are rest home fees.

"The maximum a person gets is dependent on their circumstances,'' Mrs. Scott said. "We analyse their information. They can come in and if they are not mobile we will meet with them.'' The department's social workers can also refer extreme cases to other Government agencies like rest homes, or the Island's hospitals.

"I think it's important to note that our current Minister (Health Minister Nelson Bascome) is very sensitive to seniors and their issues,'' Mrs. Scott said.

One privacy issue is the size of a person's pension, which seniors are no longer required to reveal.

Mrs. Scott explained there is even a programme by which the department pays a senior's bills directly, avoiding the chance of a defenceless senior being defrauded of their money.

Social assistance will also pay for a senior's medical equipment like wheelchairs, oxygen or home care nurses.

Olga Scott