Senior citizens who own basic household items such as a TV and a refrigerator are not automatically disqualified from receiving social pensions.
This has been clarified by Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection, Sashi Kiran following comments made by former Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum that some older people had reportedly stopped receiving their pensions after being subjected to asset tests.
In a recent interview, Sayed-Khaiyum said many people who used to receive social pensions were no longer receiving them.
He said many people in Fiji work as domestic helpers, roadside sellers and farmers, particularly in villages, but do not have access to the Fiji National Provident Fund (FNPF) because they have never worked in formal employment.
Sayed-Khaiyum said these people often have no retirement savings to rely on when they grow old.
He said the Social Pension Scheme initially provided $50 a month to people aged 70 and above who had never been members of the FNPF, before being expanded to cover those aged 65 and above, with payments increased to $100 a month.
Sayed-Khaiyum said he had been told that some older people in Lautoka were no longer receiving the assistance, despite previously being eligible.
He said some had reportedly undergone asset tests.
He added that because they own assets such as refrigetrators and television, they no longer get pension money.
In response, Kiran says the statements appear to confuse the Social Pension Scheme with the Family Assistance Scheme, which are separate programmes with different objectives, assessment processes and eligibility criteria.
She says eligible Fiji citizens aged 65 and above who do not receive an FNPF pension or another qualifying superannuation benefit may qualify for the Social Pension Scheme, subject to its eligibility requirements.
She says the scheme supported 51,784 senior citizens in 2023, with a budget of $57.4 million and 96 per cent budget utilisation.
For the 2025–2026 financial year, the Government increased the allocation to $82.06 million, supporting 59,918 recipients.
This represents an increase of 8,134 recipients, or 15.7 per cent, compared with 2023, alongside an additional $24.66 million in budget allocation.
Kiran says supporting vulnerable older persons, including former informal workers, subsistence farmers and market vendors with limited retirement savings, remains a priority.
She says more than 130,000 beneficiaries currently receive assistance through six major social welfare programmes.
It is also implementing reforms to improve transparency, accountability and service delivery, including reviewing social assistance programmes, improving poverty-targeting methods and strengthening verification processes.
She says anyone who believes their assistance has been stopped incorrectly should use its established grievance and review processes so their individual circumstances can be assessed.
She says eligibility decisions must follow the correct programme rules while ensuring public funds are administered responsibly.
