As the year draws to a close, tensions are escalating over the future of pension and benefit payments for many Manx residents. The MiCard service has about 1,088 active users. It announced that it will shut down on 31 December 2023, which has left many users in the lurch, not knowing where or how they’ll be made whole.
Mr Allinson is under growing pressure from the House of Keys to ensure that payment options are made clear for those impacted by the MiCard’s removal. The announcement that the service would be discontinued has already generated a fierce lobbying effort by federal lawmakers from the Northeast and the public.
Allinson has promised that residents will hear about other ways to pay in good time before Christmas. He stated, “People will be told of the alternatives as soon as possible, and well before Christmas.” These alternatives can be as simple as issuing a cheque, bank transfer or pre-paid debit card. It is still uncertain how many current active MiCard users even have bank accounts that would be able to accept those other types of transfers.
The timing of the MiCard service’s termination has come in for particularly harsh criticism from several quarters of the Michigan political establishment. The Right Reverend Patricia Hillas first raised the alarm. She noted that donor support tanks at year’s end. She expressed skepticism that the necessary safeguards would be established to protect low-income people and other vulnerable communities as the industry moves further in this direction.
Julie Edge, an independent member representing Onchan, insisted the MiCard system – which offers free bus travel to card holders – was working well and deserved to continue. She expressed her discontent with the decision, asserting, “We’ve got a trusted service provider for all of our pensioners, all of our vulnerable in society, and you’re switching it off without a solution.”
Fellow Ramsey MHK Lawrie Hooper supported Edge’s comments and blasted Allinson for his delayed reaction to the crisis. Hooper remarked that Allinson was “cutting it a bit close to the wire to still be actively looking at alternative solutions.” Furthermore, he explained, the Treasury Minister’s statements were indistinguishable from the “we-don’t-care-what-you-think” messages delivered during earlier debates this year.
During a recent Tynwald sitting, a question about the MiCard’s upcoming expiration led to fiery exchanges between members. Allinson indeed understood worries over the proposed service’s termination timing. He was quick to note that this transition is just one aspect of a much bigger thrust to adopt electronic and digital solutions throughout the island. He stated, “This is not a policy about benefits; it’s a policy very much about the transition to far more electronic and digital solutions across our island.”
Despite these reassurances, many remain skeptical. Due to a lack of granular data on MiCard users’ preparedness for this transition, deeper questions are raised. We need to start judging whether the proposed replacements are actually sufficient.
