Kuwaiti retirees call for ‘full’ rights as cost of living soars
By Faten Omar
KUWAIT: Under the hashtag “Retirees_want_their_rights_in_full”, thousands of retirees are demanding their rights on social media platforms, calling on the government to reevaluate their needs due to the high cost of living in the country. Adel Al-Dhubaeb tweeted that one of the most important rights claimed by retirees is to drop the benefits of salary replacements from insurance retroactively from the date of replacement. “Also, the share of the annual insurance profits should not be less than 10 percent. In addition, give retirees repetitive interest-free loans, on the condition of fully paying the previous loan,” he said.
Om Bader was emotional about the retirees’ situation. “Retirees are human beings — they’re still alive. Why would you bury them? They have a family, children, house expenses, electricity and water bills and bank installments. Do you know retirees run away from children during Eid to avoid giving them Eid money? Hiding with a broken and sad heart because he does not have enough money to give children Eidiya to make them happy. This is unfair,” she said.
As for Ahmad, he called on the minister of finance to respond to the demands of retired men and women, noting they are going through financial hardship and need government assistance, especially since they had a rough Eid and Ramadan due to high expenses. “Our age has reached the fifties, and there is still no decent life. We are mentally tired, so hear our demands. We have started to buy stuff on installments and sell them in cash. Rent is expensive, while salaries are the same, with no increase, no grants, or anything else,” Ahmed Al-Rashidi said.
“A rich country with poor people. Where are our increases? The country has a lot of blessings. How come there is no grant and no raise for Eid, or due to the increase in the cost of living? People want their rights — for how long will this silence be?” Zahra wondered on Twitter.
Dhafer Al-Ajmi said retirees have rights and their files must be reviewed to improve their standard of living, asking the government when will they implement the fourth chapter of the laws of retirees. Abu Abdul Aziz said “Local pensioners are not like foreign ones. For pensioners outside Kuwait, life begins after retirement, but here, they remain committed to the expenses of their family, helping their children in all stages of their lives, even after marriage. Therefore, psychological problems may increase for the retired, and the entire family is affected.”
Fayez El-Enzi mentioned people on social media platforms always give hope to pensioners regarding their salary issue. “I hate it when rumors spread about increasing the salaries of retirees. These people have hypertension, diabetes and heart problems. Do not give them hope. We know and understand there is nothing wrong with hope, but do not play with people’s nerves,” he pleaded.
Meanwhile, Adnan Al-Muhanna stressed the hashtag does not represent him as a pensioner. “I am a retired man since 2008, and my pension is enough for me. My lifestyle depends on the amount of my pension. I am satisfied with what God has been giving me and I am appreciative of the government, headed by its prime minister and other ministers. We have a Kuwaiti proverb ‘Stretch your legs according to the size of the blanket’, which means that people must spend according to their budget, not over it,” he pointed out.
Kuwaiti citizens are eligible to retire at the age of 60 after at least 15 years of service in the public sector. However, if a Kuwaiti citizen has a disability or a chronic illness, they may be eligible to retire earlier with a reduced pension. Retirement eligibility and benefits may be subject to change based on government policies and regulations.
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