As soon as you leave school you should register with the National Insurance Office.
Here’s how:

• Visit the Registration Section of the Office on Culloden Road
• Fill out the relevant form
• Make sure you bring the necessary identification – valid passport or Barbados ID card and Original Birth Certificate

Once you’ve registered, you’ll receive a National Insurance Registration Card with your National Insurance number on it on the same day.

“As a self-employed person in Barbados you pay contributions, whether you’re from Trinidad or Timbucktu”

How do I know if I’m self-employed?

You’re self-employed if you are between ages 16 and pensionable age and employed in Barbados. However, your employment will not be under a contract in accordance with Section 12 of the National Insurance and Social Security Act, 1970 e.g. partnership, sole traders, medical practitioners and other professionals in private practice.

Suppose I’m a shareholder in a company, am I self-employed?

If you’re a majority shareholder in a limited liability company and involved in the day-to-day operations of the company you may be seen as self-employed. You should check with the National Insurance Office to confirm your insurability status.

I’m British, do I have to pay contributions while I work here?

Nationality makes no difference so contributions must be paid whether or not you’re Barbadian.

I work here for an American textile company that has no local office, what’s my status?

If you’re employed in Barbados by an employer who does not live here and has no place of business here you are self-employed.

I work here as the Honorary Consul of Trinidad and Tobago, what’s my status?

If you’re a national of another country but are employed in Barbados by your government in a diplomatic or military role you are not liable to be insured either as self-employed or as an employed person.

Related Links

Corporate Affairs & Intellectual Property Office

www.caipo.gov.bb

Barbados Youth Business Trust

www.youthbusiness.bb

Barbados Investment & Development Corporation

www.bidc.com

As an employee, you should already have a National Insurance Registration Card, with your National Insurance (NIS) number printed on it.

Here’s some useful information about your card and number:

1. Keep your card in a safe place.

2. If you lose your card, ask the National Insurance Office for a new one right away.

3. You don’t need to re-register if you change jobs just let your new employer know that you already have a National Insurance number.

4. Your number remains the same even if you change jobs several times.

Here are a few things you should know:

In general

Insured persons are covered up to the first $1,201 (per week) of earnings or $5,200 (per month) of earnings.

If your pension is paid to a friend or relative, or deposited to a bank account, you’ll need to submit a life certificate to the National Insurance Office every two months

About Claiming benefits

You must claim your benefits as soon as possible. Otherwise you may be disqualified or even lose the entire benefit.

Fill out your claim form completely and correctly. Ensure that your national registration number (I.D. card number) and your NIS number are filled in correctly.

About benefit cheques

Benefits are paid by cheque, which can be cashed at any commercial bank. If the payment of a short-term benefit cheque is up to $1,750, you can cash it at any Post Office or the National Insurance and Social Security Service.

Your cheque is valid for six months from the date of the cheque.

If you lose it and need it replaced before the six months expire you’ll have to fill out a Deed of Indemnity. This means you’ll repay the NIS if you find the lost cheque after you receive the replacement cheque.

Should you find the cheque after six months but hadn’t filled out the deed, you should return the cheque and apply to the Board to have it re-issued.

If you terminate the services of an employee you must give him/her, a fully completed Termination of Services/Layoff Certificate, on the day that his/her services are terminated. 

You must send a copy of this certificate to the Chief Executive Officer of the National Insurance Office within a week of the date of the employee’s termination. You can obtain copies of the termination certificate at the National Insurance Office. If you don’t comply with this requirement, you’re guilty of an offence and liable to face penalties.

If you don’t comply with this requirement, you’re guilty of an offence and liable to face penalties.

Related Links

TVET Council

www.tvetcouncil.com.bb

Barbados National Productivity Council

www.productivitycouncil.org.bb

Barbados Chamber of Commerce and Industry

www.barbadoschamberofcommerce.com

Barbados Employers’ Confederation

www.barbadosemployers.com

“If you fail to pay your contributions on time you’ll be fined and will have to pay interest on the outstanding amount”

At the end of each month, total the earnings and contributions for that month and make a single payment covering both employer and employee contributions.

Deadline: This payment should be made within 15 days after the end of the month.

Fines: If you fail to pay contributions within the stipulated time, you will have to pay a penalty for which you are liable, plus the interest of 1% per month on the unpaid contribution, or $20.00, whichever is greater.

Give your employees access to the earnings schedule returned by the NIS

These tips will help you ensure that your contributions are paid properly and on time and that forms are completed correctly.

General

1. All employers must register with the National Insurance Office to get a registration number. This number is used as an identifier for national insurance purposes.

2. If you change your business name or address you should let the department know immediately.

3. Use your legal name in schedules.

4. You must submit an application to the National Insurance Office for each eligible worker. For more details read the “Handbook for Employers”.

5. Follow the specific guidelines when completing schedules.

Contributions

1. Pay contributions every month – on or before the 15th.

2. If you don’t pay on time you’ll face fines or other penalties.

3. You must pay contributions for each employee whether the employee is full-time or not. There are, however, certain exceptions. For more details read the “Employers Handbook”.

4. Submit the fully completed Earnings Schedule, Earnings & Contribution Schedule or computerized report whichever is appropriate, each month.

5. Payments must be made by crossed cheque to the Chief Executive Officer, National Insurance Office.

6. Mail your contribution cheques to the National Insurance Office, pay in person or use our online payment method.

7. Don’t send cash in the mail or place in drop boxes.

8. Give your employees access to the copy of the Earnings Schedule returned by the insurance office.

9. Allow your employees to see the Earnings Schedule relevant to them (not necessary more than once a quarter).

10. Submit Termination of Services/Layoff Certificate promptly.

11. Cooperate with officials of the National Insurance Office who are here to help you.

12. Submit original documents only.

A: Click on the Get Support icon and follow the instructions provided on the screen. Write your problem in the space ‘note to administrator’ and submit it. The information will be sent to your e-mail address.

A: The user has tried to log in more than three times

A: If you cannot remember your password click on the Get Support link below the login area, follow the instructions provided on the screen. The new password will be sent to your e-mail address.

A: Your user ID is zero plus your NIS number

A: For employers, the User ID is the NIS number beginning with 9.

A: Go to the National Insurance website (www.nis.gov.bb) and using you User ID which is your NIS number and your password, click on the log on button.

A: Your entitlement to sickness benefit would have to be determined by a registered medical practitioner considering you to be incapable of work due to a specific disease or bodily or mental disablement even after you have become unemployed. You should however submit your claim for unemployment benefit provided that you are capable of and available for work but cannot obtain immediate employment elsewhere. If you qualify for both you will be paid for the one which is at the higher rate – in this case sickness benefit.

A: According to our regulations, you cannot receive sickness benefit since you have not been rendered incapable of work as a result of some specific disease or bodily or mental disablement; and you cannot receive unemployment benefit because your unemployment is voluntary and you are not available for work. Please note that according to the regulations, a person shall not be treated as unemployed unless he/she satisfies the Director that he/she is unemployed, capable of and available for work.

A: Under Section 12 (2) and (3) of the National Insurance and Social Security Act appointed government employees are exempt from paying such contributions and therefore have no right to these benefits under the Scheme. Contributions paid by appointed government employees are in respect of all benefits with the exception of sickness and unemployment.

A: On becoming unemployed a person must apply for benefit within two weeks of the date of termination of his/her services. This must be done whether or not a Termination Certificate has been provided by the employer at the time of termination. Therefore, having waited four weeks, you are already late in submitting your claim. Remember that unemployment benefits are payable not earlier than two weeks prior to the date of the claim so that a late claim may result in loss of part or whole benefit.

A: Yes! Your employee can indeed claim a second disablement benefit. Where a person who is presently receiving a Disablement benefit suffers a second employment injury, he shall not be entitled to receive Injury benefit and Disablement benefit for the same period, but in assessing his degree of disablement in connection with the second or subsequent claims to Disablement benefit, the total degree of disablement arising from all the relevant injuries or diseases shall be assessed and he shall be entitled to Disablement based on that assessment.

A: An invalidity benefit is paid to persons who are unable to work because of a specific disease or bodily or mental ailment which is likely to remain permanent while a Disablement benefit is paid to persons who have suffered the loss of physical or mental faculty as a result of injury or industrial disease which arose out of or in the course of employment.

The amount payable weekly as Invalidity benefit is limited to a maximum of 60% of average weekly insurable earnings whereas the amount of Disablement benefit is based on the percentage of disability as determined by a medical panel, and can be as much as 90% of average weekly earnings in cases of 100% of loss.

Invalidity benefit is payable as long as invalidity continues but not beyond pensionable age when an Old Age Contributory pension is payable.

The period during which a Disablement benefit is payable is determined by the medical panel and the recipient can resume employment during this period.

A: As your boyfriend was still legally married, you cannot claim a benefit as his spouse. However, you may claim a Survivors’ benefit on behalf of the children provided that there are under sixteen years of age or under 25 years of age and attending an approved educational institution.

A: Persons who are receiving pension from another government are disqualified from receiving a non-contributory pension. There are a number of qualifying conditions for receiving a non-contributory pension and therefore, being a Barbadian does not automatically qualify you for the pension.

A: Firstly, you can only claim a Funeral Grant if you are meeting the funeral expenses. Secondly, Survivors’ benefit can only be claim by the spouse and the children of the deceased person. If, however, the insured person had died as a result of an employment injury, a Death benefit would be payable instead of a Survivors’ and other persons who are adjudged to have been dependent on the earnings of the deceased at the time of death may be included.

A: Yes, you can claim old age contributory pension while you are still working. The regulation does not prohibit employed persons who have reached pensionable age from applying for their pension. You should submit your old age contributory claim to the National Insurance Office within three months of reaching the pensionable age. If your claim is late you may lose part of your pension.

A: The National Insurance legislation gives the responsibility to determine classification of employment status with respect to payment of contributions to the Board of Directors of the National Insurance and Social Security Service. Such questions should be submitted to the Board for determination.

A: An employer is required by law to deduct and submit contributions to the National Insurance Office for every employee who is earning a minimum of $21.00 per week or $91.00 per month and up to a maximum of $1,201.00 per week or $5,200.00 per month. Contributions must be submitted on a monthly basis and in a timely manner to avoid a penalty. Each employee has the right to inquire at the National Insurance Office as to whether contributions are being made on his/her behalf.

A: An employer is required to obtain a National Insurance card from a new employee on commencement of employment. Where the employer has not obtained such a card/he/she should obtain the national insurance number from the National Insurance Office within seven (7) days of the employee commencing work. If the number is not received within that period, the employer is still expected to submit contributions to the National Insurance Office on the new employee’s behalf in the specified time period or else a penalty for late payment may be incurred.

A: No. Contributions should be deducted and submitted to the National Insurance Office for all employees who are receiving a minimum wage of $21.00 per week or $91.00 per month regardless of part-time, temporary, substitute, probationary or student/vacation employment.

A: If a miscarriage occurs after twenty-eight (28) weeks of pregnancy, an insured person would still qualify to receive a maternity benefit once she has met the qualifying conditions as discussed in the answer to the first question. If the miscarriage occurs before 28 weeks the insured woman may be entitled to sickness benefit provided that she meets the qualifying conditions.

A: Maternity benefit is not payable to a person who is out of the island unless that person has gone for the purpose of receiving medical attention.

A: It is possible to be unemployed and still qualify for a maternity benefit provided that:-

1. you have been insured for at least 26 contribution weeks; and
2. you must have paid at least 16 contributions in the two contribution quarters but one before the contribution quarter in which the benefit would become payable. For example, suppose you became unemployed on 1st October 2003 and qualified for unemployment benefit and your maternity benefit became payable in the first quarter (January to March) 2004. The quarters used by the National Insurance Office to determine whether or not you are eligible will be the 2nd and 3rd quarters of 2003, i.e. April to June and July to September. Please note, however, that once you qualify, you will receive only the maternity benefit since this will be at a higher rate (100% of average weekly insurable earnings). In other words, you will not receive two benefits.

A: For Unemployment Benefit you must be between 16 and pensionable age.  You must be insured for at least 52 weeks, have not fewer than 20 contributions, paid or credited in 3 consecutive quarters ending with the relevant quarter and have not fewer than 7 contributions paid or credited in the relevant quarter.

A: There are numerous factors that can prevent a claim from being processed. They range from the non-completion of claims, the non-payment of contributions, to no signature. As a result delays occur and a claim is not paid promptly.

The NIS is implementing new processes in the form of computer hardware/software to speed up processing but its success is dependent on the co-operation of the employer and the employee.

A: Depending on the benefit, a calculation is made on gross earnings up a maximum of $5,200.00 per month or $1,201.00 per week.

A: Once the form is properly completed and the contributions are paid in, processing will be made promptly.

A: No. The first three days are called waiting days and are deducted. If you should happen to claim another benefit within 3 weeks these days will be paid to you.

A: Yes we can. It is your right as an employee to inspect the employer’s schedules once a quarter but you can also telephone the NIS or visit the office to check on contribution payments.

As soon as you leave school you should register with the National Insurance Office.
Here’s how:

• Visit the Registration Section of the Office on Culloden Road
• Fill out the relevant form
• Make sure you bring the necessary identification – passport, Barbados ID card, Original Birth Certificate

Once you’ve registered you’ll receive a National Insurance Registration Card with your National Insurance number on it within a few weeks.

Tips:

1. Keep your card in a safe place
2. If you lose your card ask the National Insurance Office for a new one right away
3. You don’t need to re-register if you change jobs, just let your new employer know that you already have a National Insurance number
4. Your number remains the same even if you change jobs several times

The Prime Minister, the Hon. Mia Amor Mottley indicated in her speech (Appropriations Bill) that persons claiming unemployment were not required to visit the BECCS.

Will benefits be automatically mailed?

At present, all benefit cheques are being mailed. However, some claimants receive their short-term benefits (e.g. sickness) via bank and credit union accounts.

Claimants of NIS benefits with bank or credit union accounts (Barbados Public Workers’ Co-operative Credit Union Ltd, City of Bridgetown Co-operative Credit Union Ltd, Barbados Workers Union Co-operative Credit Union Ltd.) can request the NIS Direct Deposit Form from the Office, complete and submit it, along with the header of the bank statement.

The NIS is working towards offering this service in the near future and is requesting that persons who register with the Department to submit their banking details. When the facility becomes available, claimants would begin to receive their payments electronically. Persons are encouraged to complete and submit the Direct Deposit Form which can be downloaded from www.nis.gov.bb to aid in this process.

This programme is being facilitated by the Ministry of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs through its Adopt-A-Family programme where vulnerable families are being assisted.

On April 25, 2020, Acting Prime Minister, the Hon. Santia Bradshaw stated that approximately 1,500 households had been identified and the relevant authorities were working to assist. The Adopt-A-Family Programme was launched just over a month ago (March 2020) and members of the public, including those from the business community, are encouraged to make direct deposits to account number 1001193982, at CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank, Broad Street. (Source: Government Information Service, Barbados).

Yes. The current legislation applies.

There is NO waiver of the employer portion. ‘For those employers who are prepared to retain three quarters of their workforce, even if some are on short week, Government WILL DEFER their obligation to pay the employer’s contributions for THREE MONTHS in the first instance, with the preparation to extend it for another THREE MONTHS if the crisis continues beyond that period’.

If the employee is laid-off without an expected date of re-employment, vacation should be entered within the last week/month of employment.

If the employee is laid off with an expected date of re-employment, vacation should be ‘spread’ across the period of vacation. For e.g. If the employee is laid off on March 31^st, 2020 with an expected date of re-employment June 30^th , 2020, and is paid 3 weeks’ vacation, that vacation should be ‘spread’ from April 1^st , 2020 to April 21^st, 2020.

You must submit your claim within two (2) weeks of becoming unemployed.  Failure to do so may result in the loss of a portion of the unemployment benefit.

Please note that you can submit your claim even if your employer has not given you a Termination of Services/Layoff Certificate (green form).

Alternatively, You can submit the completed form to a drop box located at the E. Humphrey Walcott Building, corner of Collymore Rock and Culloden Road, St. Michael.

Please ensure that your address, telephone numbers and your e-mail address are correct.

Please pay attention to our official Public Service Announcements.

All other claims including sickness should be submitted via the drop boxes on the north and south sides of the Frank Walcott Building.