Abstract Aging of societies is a human development issue that is under researched but presents much concern for both developed and developing countries alike. In most countries, the challenges of an ageing population began to unfold in the last thirty years. An ageing population slows down the growth of the working age population such as in the case of Japan. In the case of the Pacific, Samoa for example, an increase in the elderly cohort puts strain on the government budget through the non-contributory pension scheme, where all persons aged 65 years and above are paid a pension of SAT125.00 per month as a form of old age income. This paper explores how this pension has become an important additional source of income for many households in their efforts to provide for their basic needs as well as meeting church and cultural obligations. Key words: Ageing population, non-contributory pension, church, cultural.
