AHSA — Retirees are demanding Ministry of Social Affairs increase their pensions and are calling for annual bonuses and health insurance to be added, Al-Madinah reported. “I have served 34 years in education. My friends and I have a lot of experience to offer. Being a retiree does not automatically render us useless to society. Making us feel secure in our health and social life is the least we deserve after decades of honest service,” said retiree Ibrahim Al-Kilaib. He added that the Kingdom should make use of retirees' long work experience by giving them a consultative role in society. Al-Kilaib also pointed out that the Shoura Council has proposed the Ministry of Social Affairs and the Public Pension Agency increase the pension and include annual bonuses and health insurance. Former Saudi Post employee Abdullah Al-Qattan said he worked at the postal service for 21 years and argued for retirees to have a continuing role in the Kingdom. “I am against retirement because society is currently unappreciative of retirees. Those who have decades of experience in a field have the responsibility of giving back. Retirees are not outdated people, but experienced experts who have improved the country's economy by persevering in their field of work,” he said. Al-Qattan suggested the Public Pension Agency organize workshops and programs with retirees as speakers. According to the Public Pension Agency, the Kingdom has almost 658,000 retirees, but only around 380,000 are listed on the agency's pension roll. Employees serve for an average of 31 years before retiring. Abdullah Al-Othman, who served 37 years in the education sector, said the rising cost of living was becoming a challenge for many retirees. “Life expenses have become very costly. The pension received from the agency is no longer sufficient. You find retirees searching for jobs to be able to afford a living,” he said. “The pension is about SR2,500 to SR3,000 a month. I demand the authorities apply the Shoura Council's proposal. Retirees do not really have any other source of income than their meager pension,” said Al-Othman. Mansour Al-Maghrabi said he served in the military field for 21 years. “The low rate of the pension is actually the reason why many are refusing to retire. Retirees deserve a lot of benefits in addition to the pension. The agency should provide sports and fitness clubs and give retirees a discount on flights and train trips,” said Al-Maghrabi.
