Older adults in Mexico do not need to “prove their survival” to receive the government’s Welfare pension. YesHowever, since mid-October 2024, more than 1,000 social media users claim that it is necessary to go every six months “to the nearest window” to confirm that they are still alive “and thus ensure payment.” The Welfare Secretariat, in charge of the program, told AFP that it does not request this procedure to provide support, and the current rules for the operation of the service do not contemplate it.
“WELL-BEING PENSION MAKES PROOF OF SURVIVAL NECESSARY”announce publications on Facebook y X.
“The beneficiaries must go to the nearest window every six months to confirm that they are still alive and thus ensure payment of their pension. The necessary documents include the pension number and an updated Certificate of Tax Status.”they continue.
Other entries (1, 2) point out: “Those who are at risk of being left out of the social program are those elderly men and women who do not complete the survival check in a timely manner”.
Mexican media have also published articles (1, 2, 3) with similar statements.
Screenshot of a Facebook post made on October 16, 2024
The financial support of social programs They were a central part of the management of the former Mexican president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
On October 1, 2024, upon assuming office as president, Claudia Sheinbaum said that his government will maintain and expand the social programs of his predecessor.
In addition to continuing with pensions for older adults, established as a constitutional right in the article 4 of the Magna Carta since 2020, the president advertisement that will expand the project to support women aged 63 and 64, and will complement it with a house-to-house health service.
Pension for older adults
A search in the website and the social networks of the Welfare Secretariat (1, 2, 3), and its owner, Ariadna Montiel Reyes (1, 2, 3), did not return any record about a procedure called “survival check” or another process that the beneficiaries must carry out periodically to demonstrate that they are still alive.
Nor was there any mention of this procedure in the operating rules of the program for fiscal year 2024, published in December 2023 in the Official Gazette of the Federation.
The document indicates that to verify the survival of the beneficiaries, a comparison is carried out between the data of the Unique Population Registry Code (CURP) with those of National Population Registry, “in order to verify and validate its consistency with the information registered in the program”.
Consulted by AFP Factual on October 15, 2024, the communication office of the Ministry of Welfare said that “Older adults do not require a survival check every six months” and that this document is not requested by the institution.
He also explained that to corroborate the data of the pensioners, the Servants of the Nation They make periodic home visits to the beneficiaries and “It is confirmed if they continue at the same address or if something has changed”.
He also recalled that the official information is found on the website and social media accounts of the Welfare Secretariat.
AFP Factual has already verified false content related to the Mexican government’s social programs that you can consult here (1, 2, 3).
References
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