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Ask The Experts, it’s a webcast hosted by the Government Press Office to provide accurate information about Belize’s national COVID-19 response. In the last 3 weeks, this Facebook broadcast has become one of the Government’s main communication tools.

Today’s featured experts were representatives of the Social Security Board and the Labour Department, and Belizeans got to ask them about what to expect when it comes to the sudden unemployment of thousands of Belizeans.

SSB’s Chandra Nisbet-Cansino discussed a few protocol changes that Social Security is making to reduce some of the stress that needy Belizeans would have faced to get access to their social security benefits. Here’s what she had to say about the ease of access being afforded during this time of hardship:

Chandra Nisbet-Cansino - General Manager, Corporate & Customer Relation Services, Social Security Board

“Social Security is suspending all non essential services at this time and our offices will now be open from 8 to 1. So what is non essential services, for us at this time we’re considering non essential services primarily the registration process and so for this week and until further notice, we will not be conducting any new registrations, any renewal of cards or any issuing of social security cards, unless there is an extraordinary situation, which would then a decision would be made by the relevant branch managers in those areas. That’s one of the first things that we’ve done. We also have extended or waived the late claim submission timeline for all sickness benefits and short term claims. So at this time there is no late penalty that will be invoked on any claim whatsoever that you make so social security. There is no need to be running the office to submit your claim for fear of being penalised on late submissions. That is for the next 6 months and if we need to extend beyond that time, we will be doing that as well. So at this time, there is no late penalty for the submission of any claim for social security. We also have in place what we call the waiver for the employers contribution payments, that is an incentive for employers who may be also experiencing cash flow issues at this time, where we are allowing employers to submit a declaration of their contributions but holding the payment of that declaration until further notice. At that time, they will be able to make a little repayment arrangement without penalties being invoked on them as well. So that’s effective for the month of March and April and so that the employers may have a little bit more cashflow, perhaps some of them are struggling to keep on employees and paying their salaries, so that is an advantage for the employers. We also provided an advance payment for contributory pension and that actually will be deposited today, which is an advance payment of not only the April which is due the 9th but is also including one month’s advance payment. So contributor pensions will be receiving 2 months of payments in their accounts today. So they ask, well how will the arrangement, will I be receiving my pension payment next month, the answer is yes, it’s just being treated as an advance and so going forward, when the crisis has been adverted or crisis has been lifted, then social security will be making a little arrangement with the pensioners for a repayment plan.â€￾