8
9
Hubert B. Dolsingh, H.B.M (Gold)
Independent National Insurance Consultant
A
person employed is covered
under the National Insurance
System (NIB) whether or not the
employer pays contributions. It is not
the responsibility of an employed
person to ensure that NIS contributions
are paid by the employer. This means
that NIB must credit your account
with contributions even though the
employer has failed to pay. However,
it is your obligation and benefit as an
employed person to have documentary
evidence to support the period of
insurable employment.
An employer who has failed to pay
contributions is not liable to pay
arrears beyond the legal statute barred
period of four years from the date
of notice in writing from NIB. As a
matter of fact, NIS Laws have a shorter
period. However, please note that the
outstanding arrears of contributions
that were not recovered by NIB are
credited to your account.
During my 44 years as an Independent
National Insurance Consultant, I have
received numerous complaints from
employees that their employers do
not pay NIS contributions and if they
were to lodge complaints to NIB they
would be fired. Employers too, have
complained that if they were to provide
the correct employable period and
wages of employees, the outstanding
contributions, penalties and interest
would put them out of business.
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BENEFITS.........
ONLY 25 CONTRIBUTIONS NEEDED FOR
FUNERAL GRANT
THE CURRENT BENEFITS PAYABLE
UNDER THE SYSTEM ARE:-
(1) FUNERAL GRANT
- the deceased
insured person must have at least 25
contributions in any earnings class or
rate. The benefit is only payable to the
person who paid the funeral expenses
and the claim must be filed within one
year of death.
(2) SICKNESS BENEFIT
- this benefit is
payable to an insured person between
the ages of 16 and 65 years and who
has suffered loss of earnings, that is, any
sum less than the actual wage and had
been employed for at least 10 weeks
within the 13 weeks before the first day
of sickness of not less than 4 days. The
rate of benefit is determined by taking
into account the average of the 10 best
weeks within the 13 weeks immediately
before the week of sickness and payable
for not more than 52 weeks.
If you returned to work within the 52
weeks and had a relapse within 10
weeks, you can continue to make up
the 52 weeks. If however, the relapse
took longer than 10 weeks, you can
start your benefit all over again for 52
weeks.
(3) MATERNITY BENEFIT
- this benefit
is payable to an insured person between
the ages of 16 and 65 years and who
was pregnant for not less than 26 weeks
or had a delivery of a living child less
than 26 weeks. The benefit is payable
for 14 weeks. The rate is determined
by taking into account the average of
the 10 best weeks of the 13 weeks
before the 6th week of the week of
the expected week of delivery. Also
payable is a GRANT for each child.
An uninsured woman or an insured
woman who does not qualify for the
benefit can qualify for only the GRANT
by using the same qualifying conditions
based on her legal or common-law
husband’s contributions.
(4) INVALIDITY PENSION
- to qualify
for this benefit you must be between
19 and 60 years old and medically
certified as being unable to perform
any type of work for at least 12 months.
The insured person must qualify for at
least one of the following contribution
conditions: you must have at least
150 contributions, 50 of which must
be earned within 3 years immediately
before your incapacity OR at least
250 contributions within 7 years
of your incapacity OR at least 750
contributions from any period of your
insurable employment. If your benefit
is paid to you up to age 60 years you
shall receive the retirement pension
whether or not you have made the 750
contributions to qualify for it. For every
week that you receive your benefit NIB
shall credit you with a contribution
as if you were still engaged in
insurable employment. I shall explain
the remaining three benefits in a
subsequent column.
I would remind employers to provide
each ex-employee with a certificate
of termination and forward a copy to
NIB within 30 days of their last day of
employment. Have NIB acknowledge a
copy for your records.
NIB rejects applications for registration
of relatives as domestic workers. A
ruling by the High Court No. CV 2008 – 01883 states, “In
our Society it is common for people to employ relatives as
domestic workers and given the prevailing crime situation
the number of people who do so is likely to increase.
No one wants to hire a stranger to come and work as a
domestic in their home, especially since they are mostly
unsupervised. The National Insurance Act, Chapter
32:01 as amended does not prohibit and/or exclude the
relationship of employer and employee between persons
who are related by blood or otherwise. NIB refusal to
accept such application is unlawful and/or procedurally
improper and/or unreasonable and/or ultra vires”.
I shall continue to remind you to obtain a statement
of contributions and provide documentary evident
of missing contributions. Your share of the weekly
contribution has been deducted from your pay from the
start of the scheme on April 10, 1972 and you have no
evidence of such payment. Please do not wait until you
retire to find out otherwise because your family can also
be denied their correct rate of benefit upon your death.
NIB has put into the NIS laws that you cannot challenge
their decision on benefits paid over one year.
When you file a claim, NIB would deposit your benefit
into your Bank account without providing you with
a written statement of how they have determined the
amount. This means that you have no way to reconcile
if the amount is correct. Please request such statement at
any of their service centres.
You are invited to contact me for a free consultation at
625 4636 or email me at
.
Life gets
better
with age
RATES
REGULAR RATE
YOU PAY
Mon to Sun
$782.00
$391.00
Mon to Sat
$626.00
$313.00
Mon to Fri
$522.00
$261.00
Sat, Sun, Holidays
$288.00
$144.00
Sundays Only
$156.00
$ 78.00
Sundays & Thursdays
$260.00
$130.00
Sat, Sun & OneWeekday $364.00
$182.00
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