Pensioners express mixed feelings about monthly grant payments

Sostenus Wilherm

The ministry of finance will introduce monthly social grant payments from November 2026, ending the practice of paying some beneficiaries two months’ grants at once in November or January.

The decision has drawn mixed reactions from pensioners, with one in Windhoek welcoming the change as a way to help elderly people manage their money, while another from northern Namibia raised concerns about its impact on farming activities and children’s school preparations.

The 64-year-old pensioner from Windhoek said the previous arrangement often left elderly people struggling to afford food during the long gap between payments, particularly those who depend entirely on their grants for survival.

“I think it is a very good decision because receiving the money in early November and then having to wait until January for the next payment leaves many elderly people struggling to afford food,” the pensioner said.

“That is a very long time to go without receiving money. Money does not last long and most of us finish the amount within a week of receiving it.”

The pensioner said receiving money every month would help beneficiaries manage their daily expenses and reduce the risk of going without basic necessities before the next payment.

“Even if you receive what seems like a lot of money, it does not necessarily last from November to December. That is why, by the time Christmas arrives, many of us have already run out of money and cannot afford Christmas food. January is still a long way off,” the pensioner said.

However, the 68-year-old pensioner raising in northern Namibia said the timing of payments was important for elderly people who use their grants to prepare their fields before the rainy season.

The pensioner explained that the rains usually begin in December, when farmers need money to clear their fields and start ploughing.

“The biggest problem is that most of our money as pensioners does not last until the rainy season. This forces us to start ploughing in January and sometimes it is already too late,” the pensioner said.

The pensioner also questioned the change to the payment schedule for children’s grants, arguing that receiving double payments in January helped families prepare for the new school year.

“I think it was good for children to receive their December and January payments in January because that is when they prepare to return to school and need money to buy uniforms and other school supplies. I do not think the payment arrangement for children should have changed, because receiving the double payment in January was very helpful to them,” the pensioner said.

The ministry of finance said the new arrangement would not reduce the total amount beneficiaries receive annually but would distribute payments more evenly throughout the year.

“You are not losing any money. The total amount you receive in a year stays the same. It now comes in equal monthly amounts instead of both November and December,” the ministry said in its question-and-answer document accompanying the announcement.

Under the new system, beneficiaries who previously received double payments in November will receive separated payments in November and in December.

Recipients of children’s grants who previously received double payments in January will likewise receive one payment each month.

The change applies to all social grants, including old-age pensions, disability grants for children and adults, vulnerable grants, foster care grants and maintenance grants.

The ministry said it was working closely with the ministry of gender equality and child welfare to ensure that payments continue without disruption.

The ministry of gender receives applications and conducts the attestation process, while the finance ministry pays approved beneficiaries through NamPost and commercial banks.

According to the ministry of finance, the government pays approximately N$633 million in social grants each month, amounting to about N$7.3 billion during the 2026/27 financial year.