By Brian Jules Campued
Over 3.7 million indigent senior citizens nationwide have received their increased social pension during the first six months of 2024, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said Wednesday.
“The DSWD has disbursed a total of P22.3 billion for the first half of 2024 to some 3,723,323 indigent senior citizens nationwide,” DSWD spokesperson ASec. Irene Dumlao said.
Under Republic Act (RA) 11916, indigent senior citizens are entitled to a monthly stipend of P1,000 starting January this year to augment their daily subsistence and medical needs.
The social pension is distributed at P6,000 per semester or for six months.
Those who are qualified for the Social Pension (SocPen) Program are seniors aged 60 years old and above who are frail, sickly, or with disability, and they must not also be recipients of other government pensions, according to Dumlao.
The DSWD official added that the elderly without a permanent source of income, financial assistance, or compensation to support their basic needs are also eligible for the SocPen. – iro
