Government has no separate database identifying Old Age Pension recipients who also earn salaries or draw other pensions, leaving the number and cost of such overlaps unknown.
BONGANI MALUNGA
The Botswana Government has no separate record of elderly beneficiaries who receive the Old Age Pension while simultaneously earning salaries or receiving pensions from other institutions, Parliament heard on Monday.
Universal Benefit
Responding to a question in Parliament, Minister of Local Government and Traditional Affairs Ketlhalefile Motshegwa said the Old Age Pension Scheme is universal and non-means-tested, meaning beneficiaries are not required to prove that they are unemployed, have no other income or are not receiving a pension elsewhere.
Under the current arrangement, an elderly citizen can receive the Government’s Old Age Pension while also earning a salary, drawing a private pension or receiving another form of income without being classified as a “double dipper” under the current rules.
No Database
“Government does not maintain a separate category or database of beneficiaries classified as ‘double dipping’,” the Minister said, explaining that the scheme is designed as a universal benefit for all citizens who have reached the qualifying age of 65.
The Government therefore cannot currently provide a definitive figure for how many beneficiaries receive the Old Age Pension alongside other sources of income. There is also no corresponding figure for how much of the pension budget goes to such beneficiaries.
P1.348 Billion
Government reported total expenditure of P1.348 billion on the Old Age Pension Scheme during the 2024/25 financial year, but said the figure represents the scheme’s overall expenditure and not payments specifically made to beneficiaries who may have other sources of income.
Registry Review
Motshegwa said Government is reviewing the wider social protection system through initiatives including the Single Social Registry and Integrated Beneficiary Registry, which are intended to improve data integration and coordination.
Any future changes to the eligibility criteria for the Old Age Pension, he said, would be considered as part of the broader social protection reform agenda.