The CARICOM Agreement on Social Security was signed in Georgetown,
Guyana on 1 March 1996 and came into effect on 1 April 1997. From this
date persons can thus apply for benefits under the Agreement.
The Agreement is intended to protect CARICOM Nationals’ entitlement to benefits
and provide equality of treatment when moving from one country to another.
The Agreement is seen as key in facilitating the free movement of labour
within the CARIOM Single Market, but it applies to all persons who are moving
to work or have worked in two or more countries that have implemented the
Agreement.
The Agreement is in effect in the following CARICOM Member States:
• 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.
Note: This booklet contains information about the CARICOM Agreement on Social Security.
It provides general guidance only and should not be treated as a complete and authoritative
statement of the law.
How The Agreement Applies
The Agreement allows CARICOM countries to coordinate their social security
programmes and refers to payments of pensions for:
• Invalidity
• Disablement
• Old age or Retirement
• Survivors’ benefits and
• Death benefits.
Under this Reciprocal Agreement, insured persons are entitled to benefits from
one or more of the Social Security Organisations in the various CARICOM Member
States for which they qualify.
When going to another CARICOM Member State to work, persons should inform
the Directors of the Social Security Organisations in their home country
and host country. The date of departure and overseas address should be presented.
This will enable the accurate capturing of contributions and payment
of benefits while residing in the host country. One should also inform that Organisation
of any subsequent change of address. Upon returning to the usual
place of residence, the home Organisation should be notified.
Coverage
Social Security Organisations require all employed persons to register
and pay contributions. Migrant or travelling workers are usually at a
disadvantage when they leave a particular country without making sufficient
contributions to qualify for benefits. The CARICOM Agreement
therefore ensures that the rights and obligations of certain workers are
secured. As such, if you work in transnational enterprises; international
transportation; on a ship; in Diplomatic Missions, Consulates and International
Organisations; are self-employed, travelling from country to
country, the Agreement applies to you.
Workers in Transnational Enterprises
If you are insured and employed in one CARICOM Member State, for example,
Barbados, and your employer sends you to work in another CARICOM Member
State, for example, Saint Lucia for a period not exceeding twenty-four (24)
months, you will remain insured under the law and regulations of Barbados
while you are working in Saint Lucia. If, due to unforeseen circumstances, the
assignment exceeds this time, the laws and regulations of Barbados remain
applicable until the work is completed, subject to the approval of the Saint
Lucia Social Security Organisation.
Workers in International Transportation
If you are insured and employed in international transportation – that is, of
passengers or goods by road, inland waterway or air in two or more CARICOM
Member States – you will be insured in the country where:
• the principal place of business is located;
• a subsidiary, branch or agency of your company is located, if you are employed
by any of these and the location is different from the country of
the company’s principal place of business; or
• you are resident and ordinarily employed, even if the company employing
you does not have its principal place of business, or a branch, subsidiary
or agency in that country.
Workers on Ships
1. If you are insured and employed by a company that is your regular employer,
either in one country, for example, Jamaica, or on board a ship flying
the flag of that country, and you are sent by that company to work on
board a ship flying the flag of another country, for example, St. Vincent and
the Grenadines, you will remain insured in Jamaica subject to:
a) the legislation of the first country (in this case, Jamaica), provided that
employment does not exceed twenty-four (24) months;
b) the legislation of the first country, if due to unforeseen circumstances
the work exceeds twenty-four (24) months. This legislation will apply
subject to agreement by the two countries concerned (in this case,
Jamaica and St. Vincent and the Grenadines).
2. If you normally follow your occupation in the territorial waters, in a port in
one country, e.g., Barbados, or on board a ship flying the flag of another
country, e.g., Saint Lucia, but you are not a member of the ship’s crew, you
will remain insured in the country where you normally follow your occupation,
i.e., Barbados in this example.
3. If you are insured and employed on board a ship flying the flag of one
country, but you are paid by an organisation or person whose principal
place of business/residence is located in another, you will be insured under
the Law of the second country if you reside there. The company or person
paying the salary/wage is considered the employer for the purpose of the
application of the legislation.
Workers in Diplomatic Missions, Consulates and International Organisations
The regulation for workers on ships and international transportation also applies
to members of the service staff of diplomatic missions, consulates or international
organisations and persons employed in the private service of
officials of such organisations. However, such workers who are nationals of a
CARICOM Member State, e.g., Trinidad and Tobago, which is a sending state,
may opt to be insured under the Scheme in the country where that person is
a national (the Trinidad and Tobago National Insurance Office in this case).
The Agreement does NOT apply to diplomatic agents, consular officers or to
persons of equal status in international organisations of which a country is a
member.
Self-employed Persons
1. If you are self-employed and you reside in one CARICOM Member State
(for example, Guyana), and follow your occupation in another CARICOM
Member State, for example, Grenada, you will remain insured under the
Law of Guyana if the Law of Grenada is not applicable to you.
2. If you are a self-employed person who lives in one CARICOM Member State
(for example, Barbados), and you normally follow your occupation in two
or more CARICOM Member States – say, Barbados, Dominica and Montserrat,
you will remain insured in the country in which you live – in this case,
Barbados, if you work partly in that country.
3. In addition, if you do not follow part of your occupation in the country in
which you reside, e.g., Barbados, or there is no legislation applicable to you,
you will be insured under the regulations jointly agreed by the Social Security
institutions of the other CARICOM Member States in which you work,
e.g., Dominica and Montserrat.
Itinerant Workers (Workers travelling from country to country)
If you are an insured person who lives in one Member State e.g., Belize, and
you are employed other than in international transportation and normally follow
your occupation in two or more CARICOM Member States including Belize,
you will remain insured in the country where you normally reside, i.e., Belize,
in this example.
This rule also applies if you are employed by two or more employers who have
their principal places of business or residence in different countries.
Compulsory and Voluntary Insurance Schemes
If you are insured under the Law of one country, e.g., Barbados, and you are
permitted to voluntarily contribute at the same time to another compulsory
insurance plan, you will be insured under the first country’s scheme only (in
this case Barbados).
If you are permitted to voluntarily contribute to two or more compulsory insurance
schemes, you are entitled to be insured under the scheme in the country
where you reside. If you do not live in one of the CARICOM Member States,
you should be insured under the scheme of the country where you last worked.
Benefits
• Invalidity Pensions
• Disablement Pensions
• Old Age or Retirement Pensions
• Survivors’ Pension
• Death Benefits
How To Become Eligible For A Benefit
As already stated, benefits payable under this Agreement are long term i.e.
pensions. If you have been subject to the legislation of two or more CARICOM
Member States and you satisfy the conditions for a benefit in all of these Member
States, you or your survivors are entitled to a benefit according to the legislation
of the CARICOM Member States concerned.
If you have not paid enough contributions to qualify for a benefit in the CARICOM
Member State in which you reside, the contributions you have paid in
other CARICOM Member States will be taken into account. You may receive
the portion of the benefit to which you are entitled if you have satisfied the
relevant conditions. The portion of the benefit you receive will reflect the level
of your contributions in relation to the total contributions required to qualify
for the benefit.
For example, in Barbados, a person requires at least 500 contributions in order
to qualify for an Old Age Contributory Pension. The minimum pension payable
is $98.00 per week. Suppose you are living in Barbados and you have only
made 300 contributions to the Barbados Pension Scheme. However, you previously
worked 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 contributions to the Barbados scheme:
300/500 x $98.00 = $58.80
If the qualifying age for a benefit in one country, e.g., Antigua and Barbuda, is
lower than the qualifying age in another country, e.g., Barbados, the first country
– in this case, Antigua and Barbuda – should pay you or your survivors directly.
On the other hand, if the qualifying age in the first country (Antigua
and Barbuda), is higher than the qualifying age in the second country (Barbados),
you will not be entitled to receive the portion of the benefit payable by
Antigua and Barbuda before attaining the qualifying age stipulated in that
country’s legislation.
Invalidity Pension
The Social Security Organisation under whose legislation you are making your
claim will take into account all of the medical and administrative information
provided by the Social Security Institution of any other CARICOM Member
State in which you would have made contributions.
Each Institution retains the right to have you examined by a doctor of its choice
at its own expense.
If the legislation of the countries in which you are insured allows, invalidity
pension could be converted to old age or retirement pension.
Dependants
If the legislation of one CARICOM Member State, e.g., The Bahamas, specifies
that the amount of a benefit varies according to the number of dependants,
those who are resident in another CARICOM Member State, e.g., St. Kitts and
Nevis, will be taken into account as if they were resident in The Bahamas.
Where required, a certificate issued by the Social Security institution of the
other CARICOM Member State (in this case, St. Kitts and Nevis) should be submitted
regarding dependants who are living there.
The Certificate is valid for twelve months from the date of issue and is renewable.
If you reside in one CARICOM Member State but are entitled to receive a benefit
from another CARICOM Member State, that benefit may be paid directly to you or
it may be paid to you through the National Insurance institution in the country of
abode. However, if the latter arrangement will be put in place, you will be notified.
Claiming Benefits: Submission of Claims
You may submit your claim to the Social Security institution in the country
where you reside.
The claim will then be referred to the relevant institution(s).
Any claim, application, declaration or appeal should be submitted within the
time period specified in the national legislation of the institution to which the
claim is being submitted.
The date on which your claim is received in the country where you reside will
be considered as the date of the claim.
Documents to Accompany Claims
You must submit the following documents, as necessary, with your claims:
• Proof of Age
• Your certified Birth Certificate and Affidavit, if applicant’s name does
not appear on the Birth Certificate or
• a Valid Passport or
• an Electoral Identification Card, where applicable;
• Change Of Name
• Marriage Certificate
• Deed Poll
• Other
• Letter of Co-habitation
The claims should be submitted on the forms prescribed by the legislation of the
country in which you were, or the deceased person was last insured.
The accuracy of the information given by you should be supported by official
documents, which should be attached to the claim form, or confirmed by the
authorities in the country/countries where you worked and paid contributions.
You should indicate, where possible, the invalidity, retirement, old age or survivors’
benefit institution(s) of each country to whose legislation you or the
deceased person have or had been subject, or the employer(s) by whom you
or the deceased have or had been employed in a CARICOM Member State.
Any certificates of employment in your possession should be submitted.
Examination of Claims
All claims should be examined by the institution to which they have been submitted.
The institutions concerned will then be advised immediately so that
the examination of the claims can be done at the same time to avoid delays.
After each Social Security institution has agreed on the portion of the benefit
which is to be paid, you will be informed of the amount you should receive from
each institution.
You will also be informed of Appeal Procedures.
Provision for Recovery of Excess or Advanced Payments
If the Social Security institution in one country has overpaid you, or has made
an advance payment of benefits, that institution may request any other institution
responsible for paying you corresponding benefits, to deduct the amount overpaid
or advanced from the payments it is making to you.
Currency of Payment
If you are living in one CARICOM Member State (e.g., Guyana) and are entitled
to a benefit from another CARICOM Member State, e.g., Saint Lucia, you will be
paid in the currency of the country in which you reside, i.e., Guyana, but at
the same rate as if you lived in the first country, e.g., Saint Lucia.
Termination of The Agreement
In the event of a withdrawal from, or termination of the CARICOM
Agreement, all rights acquired will be honoured and negotiations
will take place for the settlement of any rights.
General Information
When writing to the Director, National Insurance you should state:
• Your full name
• Your address
• Your telephone number (where applicable)
• Your National Insurance Number/Social Security Number
• Your National Registration Number (in the case of Barbados) or
• Your Electoral Identification Card Number.
Should you require additional information about the CARICOM Social Security
Agreement, address your enquiries to the Social Security institution in your
country of residence or your country of origin.
ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA
The Director
Social Security Scheme
P.O. Box 1125
Long Street
St. John’s
ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA
Tel.: (268) 481-3000
Fax: (268) 481-3090
Email: socsec@socialsecurity.ag
THE BAHAMAS
The Director
The National Insurance Board
P.O. Box N-7508
Nassau
THE BAHAMAS
Tel.: (242) 502-1500
Fax.: (242) 322-2923
Email: info@nib-bahamas.com
BARBADOS
The Director
National Insurance Office
Frank Walcott Building
‘Flodden’
Culloden Road
St. Michael
BARBADOS
Tel.: (246) 431-7400
Fax: (246) 431-7408
Email: info@bginis.gov.bb
BELIZE
The Manager
Belize Social Security Board
P.O. Box 18
Bliss Parade
Belmopan
BELIZE
Tel.: (501) 8-22163/22471
Fax: (501) 8-23331
Email: bssbbze@btl.net
DOMINICA
The Director
Dominica Social Security
P.O. Box 772
Roseau
Commonwealth of Dominica
Tel.: (767) 448-2111
Fax: (767) 448-5704
Email: dss@cwdom.dm
GRENADA
The Director
National Insurance Scheme
P.O. Box 322
Melville Street
St. George’s
GRENADA
Tel.: (473) 440-3309
Fax: (473) 440-6636
Email: cservice@nisgrenada.org
GUYANA
The General Manager
National Insurance Scheme
Brickdam & Winter Place
Georgetown
GUYANA
Tel.: 011 (592) 225-2793/5
Fax: 011 (592) 225-9377
Email: gmnis2010@yahoo.com
JAMAICA
The Director
National Insurance Scheme
Ministry of Labour, Welfare and Sports
14 Heroes Circle
P.O. Box 10
Kingston 4
JAMAICA
Tel.: (876) 922-8000-13
Fax: (876) 924-9639
Email: customerservice@mlss.gov.jm
or nisandyou@yahoo.com
MONTSERRAT
The Director
Social Security Board
P.O. Box 170
Cheapend
St. Peter’s
MONTSERRAT
Tel.: (664) 491-2567/3667
Fax: (664) 491-6145
Email: msocsec@hotmail.com
ST. KITTS AND NEVIS
The Director
Social Security Board
P.O. Box 79
Basseterre
ST. KITTS AND NEVIS
Tel.: (869) 466-6930
Fax: (869) 465-5051
Email: pubinfo@socialsecurity.kn
SAINT LUCIA
The Director
National Insurance Corporation
Francis Compton Building
The Waterfront
Castries
SAINT LUCIA
Tel.: (758) 452-2808
Fax: (758) 451-9882
Email: nis@candw.lc
ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES
Executive Director
National Insurance Services
P.O. Box 305
Administrative Centre
Kingstown
ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES
Tel.: (784) 456-1514
Fax: (784) 456-2604
Email: nis@nissvg.org
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
The Executive Director
National Insurance Board
2A Cipriani Boulevard
Port-of-Spain
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
Tel.: (868) 663-4647
Fax: (868) 624-0276
Email: info@nibtt.net
If you live in an Associate Member State and require information about the CARICOM
Social Security Agreement send your enquiries to the respective Social Security
institutions :
ANGUILLA
The Director
Social Security Office
James Ronald Webster Building
The Valley
ANGUILLA
Tel.: (264) 497-2201/2
Fax: (264) 497-5649
Email: infoa@ssbai.com
BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS
The Director
Social Security Board
P.O.Box 698, Road Town,
Tortola
or
The Valley
Virgin Gorda
BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS
Tel.: (284) 494-3418
Fax: (284) 494-6022
Email: info@bussb.vg
TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS
The Director
Turks & Caicos Islands National Insurance Board
P.B. Box 250
Misick’s Building
Grand Turk
Turks and Caicos Islands
Tel.: (649) 946-1048
Fax: (649) 946-1362
Email: trevormcooke@tcinib.tc
BERMUDA
The Director
Department of Social Insurance
30 Parlimet Street
Hamilton
Bermuda
Tel.: (441) 295-5151
Fax: (441) 292-5267
Email: socialinsurance@gov.bm
CAYMAN ISLANDS
National Pensions Office
2nd Floor Anderson Square
George Town
Grand Cayman
P.O. Box 2182 GT, Grand Cayman
Tel.: (345) 945-8960
Fax: (345) 945-8961
E-mail: npo@gov.ky
