Starting this February, Indigent Senior Citizens under Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Social Pension Program will now be receiving P1,000 stipend per month.
Under Republic Act No. 11916, also known as an Act Increasing the Social Pension of Indigent Seniors Citizens, a hundred percent increase in their monthly pension will be actualized starting next month, rising to P1,000 from previous P500 stipend.
With the said increase, this aims to provide additional assistance to the indigent seniors to be able to brace impacts of high inflation in the country.
Assistant Secretary for Strategic Communications and DSWD Spokesperson Romel Lopez stated that the funds for the actualization of RA 11916 were already approved and included in the 2024 budget of the agency.
Lopez added that eligible and qualified indigent senior citizens will be granted with the said pension which will be beneficial to supplement their daily necessities and medical needs.
The Social Pension Program covers the indigent senior citizen’s sector who are frail, sickly or with a disability, those who does not have a permanent or stable source of income, and those that does not have regular support from their family.
The agency further explained that senior citizens will be considered eligible for the stipend if they are not receiving any assistance from the Social Security System (SSS), Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO), Armed Forces and Police Mutual Benefit Association Inc. (AFPMBAI), or any other private insurance company.
Overall, there are more than 4 million indigent senior citizens that are qualified in the Social Pension Program in year 2024 and are eligible for their monthly stipend.