Employee
Every person who works for an employer is regarded as an Insured Person by Social Security. As an insured person, the employee must be registered and will be allocated a Social Security Number. This is a unique number under the Social Security Fund, which will be the main means of differentiating its owner from everyone else.
Registration involves completing an application form providing all of the relevant particulars that would serve to identify the particular person.
Each applicant is required to give adequate and accurate information at all times to his or her employer as well as to Social Security. This would ensure that whenever there is an opportunity for claiming any benefit, there would be no doubt about the identity of the person in respect of whose insurability, the benefit is being claimed. In this way every person would receive his/her due benefits under the law.
It is a legal requirement that every employed person and every self-employed person in Montserrat be registered with the Montserrat Social Security Fund. Employers are given definite instructions concerning the registration of their employees. Self-employed persons are also given definite instructions concerning their own registration.
Registration
The Social Security Act provides that every employee between the ages of 16 and the Pensionable Age, who commences employment in Montserrat, must be registered with the Montserrat Social Security Fund (MSSF) within four (4) days of the commencement of employment.
It is an offense under the Social Security Act to engage in employment if one is not registered. This will result, on summary conviction, in a fine.
If an employee is not yet registered:
His employer has a legal obligation to give him time off to get registered. The employee should therefore ask for time off in order to get registered.
To get registered, the employee must complete an Employee Registration form which must be submitted to the Social Security office along with the original copies of the applicant’s Passport, Birth Certificate and Marriage Certificate (if married). A new first-time employee is entitled to a FREE Social Security Registration Card.
If an employee is already registered:
But unable to present his employer with his Social Security Registration Card on the first day of work, he must ensure that it is presented by the very next day. It is important that this is done, because one can only qualify for Social Security benefit if one is registered.
Please note the following:
- CARD WITHOUT A PICTURE – An Employee who has an old Registration Card without a picture is entitled to a new and improved one which is FREE.
- RENEWAL OF CARD – The renewal of the Registration Card after the expiration date will be at a cost of EC$50.00
- EXCHANGE OF CARD – The exchange of the Registration Card after the first issued card either because of name or address change will be at a cost of EC$100.00
- REPLACEMENT OF CARD – The replacement of a Registration Card after the first issued card had been lost or misplaced will be at a cost of EC$100.00
Benefits
It is of interest to note that while the total Social Security contributions payable on behalf of an employee is 9% of his Average Weekly Insurable Earnings (AWIE), the minimum Pension which he may qualify for is 20% of his AWIE. Additionally, the Short-term Benefits he may qualify for is paid at the rate of 60% of his AWIE.
The benefits provided are divided into three categories as follows:
Short-Term benefits
These are benefits that are generally payable for a short duration of time (not exceeding 26 weeks), and are meant to partially replace employment income lost as a result of temporary absence from work. Qualifying claimants are paid a maximum 60% of their average income during the period of time that they are medically certified to be incapable of work. A person in receipt of Short-term benefit is responsible for informing the MSSF office if there is any change of circumstances affecting his continued rights to such benefit.
The Short-Term Benefits being paid by MSSF are as follows:
- Sickness Benefit paid every 10 days
- Maternity Benefit paid every 10 days
- Maternity Grant a one time payment
Long-term Benefits
Long-Term Benefits are generally payable for a longer duration of time than Short-term Benefits which are paid for a maximum period of twenty-six (26) weeks. The amount of benefit payable is calculated according to the number of Contributions (or Credits) which a person has earned during his working life up to the date of his eligibility and his average income for the best seven (7) years of the last fifteen (15) years prior to his date of eligibility. Having determined the Claimant’s Average earnings, the Claimant is usually paid a percentage of that Average Earnings.
The Long-term benefits being paid by MSSF are as follows:
- Age Benefit: paid fourth weekly every 28 days
- Age Grant: one-time payment
- Invalidity Benefit: paid fourth weekly every 28 days
- Invalidity Grant: one-time payment
- Survivors’ Benefit: paid fourth weekly every 28 days
- Survivors’ Grant: one-time payment
- Funeral Grant: one-time payment
In addition, a lump sum Funeral Grant is provided to assist with the burial expenses of an Insured Person, his or her spouse, and/or dependent children. The Grant is payable to the person(s) who has met, or is liable to meet the burial expenses.
Employment Injury Benefits
These are benefits that are payable as a direct consequence of an occupational hazard. The benefits being paid under the Employment Injury Branch are as follows:
- Employment Injury Benefit paid fourth weekly every 28 days
- Disablement Pension Benefit paid fourth weekly every 28 days
- Disablement Benefit Grant one time payment
- Medical Expenses Benefit one time payment
- Death Benefit Grant one time payment
Pensionable Age
Pensionable Age
- From 1st July 1986 – 31st December 2011 (inclusive) 60 years
- From 1st January 2012 – 31st December 2014 (inclusive) 61 years
- From 1st January 2015 – 31st December 2016 (inclusive) 62 years
- From 1st January 2017 – 31st December 2018 (inclusive) 63 years
- From 1st January 2019 – 31st December 2019 (inclusive) 64 years
- From 1st January 2020 and after 65 years
NB – Employees who have passed the Pensionable Age may still contribute to Employment Injury ie – 1% of their gross income.