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You must have reached pensionable age or if you are blind or a deaf mute, you must be 18 or older. You must also be a Barbadian citizen or a permanent resident for a period of:

1. Twelve years from the age of 40 or an aggregate of 20 years since turning 18 for Barbadian citizens or
2. Fifteen years from the age of 40 or an aggregate of 20 years since turning 18 for permanent residents

No. Also you are also not entitled to a pension if you:

1. receive one from the public service of another Government or from an international organization of which the Barbados Government is a member, like the United Nations
2. receive one from the NIS that is higher than the non-contributory old age pension
3. receive one operated by a National Insurance and Social Security Scheme of another Government
4. receive an income of more than $30 a week and are blind or deaf mute and under age 65
5. are continuously absent from Barbados for more than six months
6. are a full-time in-patient at a health service institution maintained by the Government, like a hospital or home
7. are imprisoned.

For more information download the NIS Guide to Benefits booklet which you can view in Adobe Acrobat. If you don't have Acrobat, click here to download it.

Have more questions or need to clearly understand the terms used? Take a look through the FAQ or the Glossary in the Information Zone.