Davao City –The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) warns senior citizens and their families of unscrupulous individuals asking for over a thousand pesos with a promise of enlisting them as social pensioners for life, receiving a Php 500 monthly subsidy.

This public advisory is being circulated after a certain Ms. Fernandez in Tagum City was reportedly deceived into paying Php 750 in exchange of a lifetime social pension being provided through DSWD.

DSWD Regional Director Priscilla N. Razon reiterates that the Social Pension Program for Indigent Senior Citizens targets senior citizens 77 years old and up, with no regular source of income or support from the family, and are not receiving other pension benefits from the government or private agencies.

Potential social pensioners are identified through the DSWD Listahanan, a national assessment that points out who and where the poor are, Director Razon said.

Only those identified and duly validated by Listahanan will be included in the roster of qualified social pension beneficiaries, she added.

Currently, Region XI has 14,635 senior citizen-beneficiaries.

The Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens Program addresses the clamor for social protection to the most vulnerable older persons as well as backs the full implementation of RA 9994 or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010.

The monthly stipend of P500 which took effect January 2011, augments the daily subsistence and other medical needs of indigent senior citizens.

Presently, DSWD is advocating to reduce the age requirement from 77 to 70 years old. (DSWD)