The Department of Social Security says it wishes to “sincerely apologise” to all pensioners and their families for any “distress or inconvenience” caused during the ongoing Proof of Life exercise. 

A statement continued: “We fully recognise how important these payments are to the wellbeing of our pensioners, and we deeply regret any delays or difficulties experienced. Please rest assured that resolving these issues is our highest priority. 

“The Proof of Life exercise is currently being carried out in stages:

• Pensioners aged 90 and over were required to return their forms by the end of August 2025. Pension payments for those who did not comply were suspended from September 2025.

• Pensioners aged 80 and over were required to return their forms by the end of September 2025. Payments for those who did not comply have been suspended from October 2025.

• Pensioners aged 70 and over are required to return their forms by the end of January 2026. Failure to do so will result in payments being suspended in February 2026.

• The Proof of Life exercise for Pensioners aged 60 and over has yet not commenced. 

“Please note that failure to return the required form will result in pension payments being suspended. 

"We are aware that some pensioners may not have received their forms due to address changes. If you have recently moved and have not yet informed the Department, we kindly urge you to contact us as soon as possible to avoid any disruption to your payments. 

“You can reach us by: 

Email: [email protected]

Telephone: 200 75716 / 200 79904 / 200 73204 / 200 50039

In person: Unit 79/80 New Harbours Walk, New Harbours (Counter hours: 9:00 am – 1:00 pm) 

“If you believe you have been affected by this issue, please contact the Department immediately using the details above.”