and Fatima Al-Ghamdi Okaz/Saudi Gazette JEDDAH/DAMMAM — Social insurance beneficiaries have called upon authorities to increase the monthly financial assistance they receive as the current amount of SR1,000 does not meet their requirements. Speaking to Okaz/Saudi Gazette, they also called for adding new services, payment of water bill and fixing a date for the payment of annual assistance. Mazoun Al-Ghamdi, a divorcee who lives in Jeddah, said she has been depending on social insurance for the last seven years after the death of her father. She has been looking after her elderly mother. She applied for social insurance and they initially gave her SR800 monthly, which was later increased to SR1,000 while her mother received the same amount. "This amount will not meet our basic needs including payment of house rent," Al-Ghamdi said and urged authorities to raise the amount in tune with inflation rate and basic requirements of life. Mariyam Taher, a widow, stays in the building of her aunt without paying any rent but she needs money to pay water and electricity bills. She requested the General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI) to pay her water bill. GOSI pays only SR79 for electricity bill. The rest should be paid by the beneficiary. "Things have become complicated with increase in water bills," said Taher. Umm Hassan, who has been separated from her husband, is another beneficiary of social insurance. She said she finds it difficult to meet all her requirements with the assistance of SR1,000, although she does not take care of her children. Umm Tarek, also a social insurance beneficiary, expressed her hope that authorities would pay the annual assistance of SR10,000 on a specific day of the year so that they would be able to pay house rents without difficulty. Umm Hassan has a different story. She says: "My husband has died and I have three children. My husband's salary — SR10,000 — has been going to the bank as installment for purchasing a house." She added: "When I approached the social insurance scheme, they told me that I would not get any assistance because of my husband's salary. I have presented all the documents to prove that all his salary goes to the bank for home payment but it had no use." GOSI promised her to pay some assistance after every two years but Umm Hassan had to face a lot of bureaucratic procedures. She hopes the Social Affairs Ministry would intervene to end her suffering. Social insurance beneficiaries in the Eastern Province face the same difficulties as their counterparts in Jeddah. They also complain about long procedures and need for several documents. Umm Majed, a widow and mother of five, has not received the purchasing card for the past several months. "When I asked for it I could not get a convincing answer." Umm Ahmed has been visiting the social insurance office for the last two years to get a lump sum assistance for her and her divorced daughter who has six children. "The approval for payment came two months ago but the social insurance employee is delaying payment giving some excuses," she said.
