by Mr. Kevin Harris and
Ms. Shelley Blades
“ National Insurance…More than a Contribution. It’s your lifeline.”


National Insurance was established in 1967 for the purpose of providing benefits as may be specified in the
NISS Act ; to substitute for the Workmen’s
Compensation Act, 1963, a system of insurance against personal injury caused by accident arising out of and in the course of a person’s employment and against prescribed diseases and injuries due to the nature of a person’s employment; to establish for the administration thereof a National Insurance Board and a National Insurance Fund ; and for purposes connected with the matters aforesaid.







WHO BENEFITS:
Persons between the age of 16 and 66(pensionable age), is self-employed, or employed under a contract of service, is covered under the Act.

Insurable Earnings
$91 to $4,270 per month or
$21 to $985 per week.


Sickness

Maternity Benefit/Grant

Unemployment

Employment Injury- (Medical and Travel
Expenses)


To qualify for Sickness Benefit


Have credited not less that 7 contributions in the relevant quarter.
Have been engaged in employment immediately before becoming ill.

How is the benefit computed?
The daily rate is 66 2/3 % of the insured person’s average insurable weekly earnings divided by 6






To qualify for Maternity Benefit
Have been insured for 26 contribution weeks
Have paid at least 16 contributions in the 2 quarters but one before the contribution quarter in which the benefit could become payable.
Self-employed- not less that 39 contributions paid or credited to her account.
How is the benefit computed?
The daily rate is 100% of the insured person’s average insurable weekly earnings divided by 6




To qualify for Maternity Grant
Must not be an Insured person
Must be an insured person who does not satisfy the contribution conditions for Maternity Benefit.

The Spouse must have been an insured person and have paid contributions for the relevant period.

How is the benefit computed?
The amount payable is $1, 125.00.





To qualify for Unemployment Benefit
Have been insured for 52 contribution weeks
Have paid at least 20 contributions in the 3 quarters but one before the contribution quarter in which the benefit could become payable.
Paid for a maximum period of 26 weeks.

How is the benefit computed?
The daily rate is 60% of the insured person’s average insurable weekly earnings divided by 6





To qualify for Injury Benefit
Must be incapable of work as a result of an accident arising out of and in the course of insured employment,
Must be incapable of work as a result of a prescribed disease.
How is the benefit computed?
The daily rate is 90% of the insured person’s average insurable weekly earnings divided by 6





Increase in NIS contribution rates by 1% each year, for
4 years.
Increase pensionable age by 6 months every 4 years starting Jan 01, 2006 until age 67 is reached in 2018.
Introduction of flexible NIS Retirement ages so that persons may retire on an NIS pension at any age from
60 to 70.
( 0.5% reduction/increase applies for early/late retirement respectively)

Standard Pensionable Age
Time Line
Up to Dec 2005
Jan 2006 to Dec 2009
Jan 2010 to Dec 2013
Jan 2014 to Dec 2017
From Jan 2018
Pensionable Age
65 years
65 ½
66
66 ½
67
Early Pension
Year Age
2003 64
2004 63
2005
2006
2007
62
61
60
Presently Old Age Contributory Pension may be claimed as early as age 60 or as late as 70, with a 0.5% per month reduction/increase for early/late retirement respectively.

Pension Formula:
2 % Average Annual Insurable Earnings for first 20 years
Plus
1.25% AAIE for years thereafter subject to maximum of
60%
As of Dec 31 2002
More than 10 years to retirement
Between 10 years to 20 years
More than 20 years
- no change
-50% old basis
-50% new basis
-new basis









RECIPROCAL PENSIONS
INVALIDITY PENSION / GRANT
DISABLEMENT PENSION / GRANT
OLD AGE CONTRIBUTORY PENSION / GRANT
NON-CONTRIBUTORY OLD AGE PENSION
SURVIVORS’ PENSION / GRANT
FUNERAL GRANT
DEATH BENEFIT

If you do not qualify for a pension under the
National Insurance regulations, the periods of contributions in both countries are combined. Each country then calculates the amount of pension it would have paid if the total combined contributions had been paid under its own Scheme.

There is a Social Agreement between :
Barbados & United Kingdom, Canada, Quebec and some Caricom states.







There are:
Antigua and Barbuda , The Bahamas
Barbados, Belize
Dominica, Grenada
Guyana ,Jamaica
Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and The Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago.
The Agreement is not in effect in Suriname and Haiti.

The minimum pension is $175.00 per week.
Requirement is at least 500 contributions in order to qualify for an OACP.
If in Barbados you have only made 300 contributions and in Trinidad and Tobago, where you made 200 contributions.
The portion of the pension to which you are entitled in
Barbados will therefore be calculated based on your contribution to the Barbados Scheme: 300/500 x
$175.00 = $105.00

INVALIDITY PENSION

For N.I.S purposes the term “invalid” means a person incapable of work, as a result of a specific disease or bodily or mental disablement, which is likely to remain permanent.

An insured person who is under pensionable age is entitled to an invalidity pension as long as the invalidity continues.

INVALIDITY PENSION
To qualify for an Invalidity Pension
 must have at least 150 contributions paid.

The pension is 40% of avg. annual insurable earnings over the best 3 years, plus 1% of total insurable earnings after 150 contributions.
To qualify for Invalidity Grant
 must have at least 50 contributions paid or credited .

This is paid as a lump sum. It is equal to 6 weeks avg.
insurable weekly earnings for each 50 contributions paid.

CALCULATION
Best 3 years: 2008 - 52 weeks - $28,800
2009 – 52 weeks - $29,600
2011 – 52 weeks - $30,400
Total - $88,800
Average annual insurable earning
40% of the Avg. Ins. Earnings
$88, 800/3 - $29,600
0.4*$29,600 - $11,800
Total earnings after 150 contributions $145,500*0.01 - $1, 455
Total weekly pension is $11800+$1,455.00/52 weeks - $255.67
This amount should not exceed the maximum, which is 60% of the average insurable earnings.) e.g. 60% of Avg. Ins. Earnings
0.60* $29,600 - $17,760
Weekly pension $17, 760/52 - $341.54
Since $255.67 is less than $341.54 the weekly rate will be $255.67.

DISABLEMENT PENSION

An insured person is entitled to a disablement benefit if he suffers from the loss of physical or mental faculty, as a result of an employment related accident .
Conditions-:

The disablement must be assessed at, at least 1 %.


1 – 29 % assessment is paid as a grant.
More than 30% assessment is paid as a pension .


Benefit is payable from the 3 rd day following 52 weeks after the date of accident.
The assessment must be conducted by a certified medical practitioner

DISABLEMENT PENSION

The benefit is calculated on the Injury Benefit rate



The benefit is duplicated with all other benefits except
Invalidity benefit
The pension may be payable for life (if assessment is final and greater than 30%)
The claimant may continue to work while in receipt of a disablement benefit.

OLD AGE CONTRIBUTORY
PENSION
This pension is based on the insured earnings of the individual, on which contributions were made to the
NIS.



Early pensionable age ( 60 to 65 years)
Pensionable age 66 years
Late pensionable age (67 to 70 years)

CALCULATION
 An insured person contributed to NIS for 1,850 weeks. His best earnings were in the last 5 years, the annual average of which was $30,000 . His aggregate earnings after the first 500 were $550,800 . To compute their pension:
Basic pension: $30,000 x 40% =
Supplementary $550,800 x 1% =
Annual pension $12,000 + $5,508
$12,000
$5,508
$17,508
Weekly pension $17,508/52 $336.69

OLD AGE CONTRIBUTORY
PENSION

There are three bases for calculating NIS pension which is dependent on the year you reached retirement age.



Persons 56 years or over at December 31, 2002 may use the old basis of calculation.
Person under 47 years in December 31, 2002 will use the new basis.
All other pensions will be calculated using the 50% new plus 50% old basis also known as the 50/50 basis.

OLD AGE CONTRIBUTORY
PENSION
(56 on December 31, 2002)

OLD BASIS
40% of Average Annual Insurable Earnings (AAIE)
Plus
1% of Total Insurable Earnings after the first 500
150 contributions paid and 500 contributions paid or credited.


Subject to a maximum pension of 60% of AAIE and a minimum of $175 per week.
The AAIE is based on best 5 calendar years

OLD AGE CONTRIBUTORY
PENSION

2% for ever 50 contributions per year of Average
Annual Insurable Earnings (AAIE) for the first
1000 years
Plus
1 1/4% for every 50 contributions of the remaining years

Persons <47 on 31 Dec 2002







Annual average over the best five years
2% for each year for first 1000 years and 1 1 /
4 subsequent years
% for all
1850 weeks = 37 years
20 x 2% x $37,416 = $14,966.40
17 x 1 1 /
4
% x $37,416 = $7,950.90
$14,966.40+$7,950.90=$22,917.30
Annual pension capped at 60% = $22,449.60

OLD AGE CONTRIBUTORY
PENSION

50/50 BASIS

½ of the old basis plus

½ of the new basis

½ of $336.69 + ½ of $336.69 = $336.70


OLD AGE CONTRIBUTORY
GRANT
This is a lump sum payment to an individual who falls short of the contribution requirements for an OACP.

To qualify the individual must have attained pensionable age and must have at least 50 contributions paid and less than 500 (paid and credited).

NON-CONTRIBUTORY OLD
AGE PENSION
Eligibility:


Must be a citizen or permanent resident of Barbados.
The claimant may be blind or deaf-mute 18 years or older


Not paid to persons in receipt of a Gov’t or Social
Security Pension that is higher
The pension payable is $142.00 per week

SURVIVORS’ PENSION

This pension is paid to the surviving spouse and/or children of the deceased who was in receipt of or would have been entitled to an Invalidity Pension or Old Age
Contributory Pension.

The deceased must have had at least 150 contributions paid.

SURVIVORS’ PENSION
Spouse’s Benefit
Spouse 50 years or over and married for at least 3 years is entitled to 1/2 of Pension payable for life but ceases upon remarriage or co-habitation
Spouse 45 to 49 and married for at least 3 years is entitled to
1/3 of pension payable for life but ceases upon remarriage or co-habitation

Where the spouse qualify for a pension in their own right that is higher than the survivors’ pension, the other pension is paid.
Spouse under 45 and married for at least 3 years is entitled to ½ of pension payable for one year only.
In any event if married for less than 3 years the pension payable is
½ of pension for 1 year only.

SURVIVORS’ PENSION
Children’s Benefit
Eligibility:

Each child is entitled to 1/6 of the benefit up to age 16 or age 25 if in full time education.

An Orphan is entitled to 1/3 of the benefit

An Invalid child is entitled to 1/3 of the benefit for life.

SURVIVORS’ GRANT

The deceased must have had at least 50 contributions paid but less than 150 contributions

The grant is apportioned in the same way as the survivors pension

This benefit is a lump sum payment made to the surviving spouse and/or children of the deceased who would have been entitled to an Invalidity grant or Old
Age Contributory grant.

DEATH BENEFIT
This is paid in the case of a death, due to employment injury
The benefit is paid to the dependants of the deceased spouse – wholly or mainly maintained by deceased at the time of death is entitled to ½ the benefit for life but



 ceases upon remarriage or co-habitation.
In event of remarriage or co-habitation a gratuity of 1 years’ pension is payable
Each child is entitled to 1/6 of the benefit up to age 16 or age
25, if in full time education.
An orphan is entitled to 1/3 of the benefit
An invalid child is entitled to 1/3 of the benefit for life.

FUNERAL GRANT

A Funeral Grant is payable in respect of the death of an insured person who at the time of death was in receipt of (or had entitlement to) Sickness,
Maternity, Unemployment, Invalidity or Old Age
Contributory benefits.

Payable to the person who has met ,or is likely to meet the cost of the funeral
Note: an undrawn Benefit is also paid after the death of the insured person to the spouse or executor of the affairs of the person.

FUNERAL GRANT

A Funeral Grant is also payable in respect of the death of the spouse of an insured person in respect of whom a grant would have been payable whether or not the spouse had predeceased the insured person.
Lump Sum - $1,950.00

THANK YOU
ANY QUESTIONS???