The National Insurance Scheme (NIS), started April 4, 1966, is a compulsory contributory funded social security scheme covering all employed and self-employed persons in Jamaica. It offers some financial protection to the worker and his/her family against loss of income arising from injury on the job, sickness, old age and/or death of the breadwinner.

The benefits provided under the NIS are:

1) Retirement Benefit

This benefit is payable to a contributor who has retired from gainful employment and has met the required contributory conditions. A male retiree becomes eligible for this benefit at age 65, but if he continues to work past this age it may be claimed at retirement or at age 70, whichever comes first. A female retiree becomes eligible for this benefit at age 60, but if she continues to work past this age it may be claimed at retirement or at age 65.

2) Invalidity Benefit

This benefit is payable to an insured person below the retirement age who is no longer able to work due to a permanent incapacity. The contributor must still satisfy the required contributory conditions at the time of claim.

3) Widow's/Widower's Benefit

This benefit is payable to the spouse (married or common-law) of a deceased pensioner or contributor who has met the contributory conditions.

4) Orphan's Benefit

This benefit is payable to the guardian of an orphan below the age of 18. One or other parent must have satisfied the required contributory conditions.

5) Special Child's Benefit

This benefit is payable to the guardian of a child below the age of 18 whose mother has died and whose father's whereabouts are unknown. The mother must have met the required contributory conditions.

6) Maternity Allowance

This benefit is payable to domestic workers only. She must satisfy the required contributory conditions for the benefit, which is in the form of a lump sum payment equivalent to eight weeks (period of confinement) at the minimum wage.

7) Employment Injury

This benefit is payable to a worker who is unable to work for a period not less than three days due to an accident arising out of and in the course of insurable employment, or due to the development of any prescribed disease attributable to the nature of the job.

8) Employment Injury Disablement

This benefit is payable at the end of the employment injury where the worker has suffered a disability of 10 per cent or more based on an assessment by our medical advisors.

9) Employment Injury Death

This benefit is payable to the spouse, mother or the guardian of the children of a deceased worker whose death was due to an accident arising out of and in the course of insurable employment, or due to the development of any prescribed disease attributable to the nature of the job.

10) Special Anniversary Pension

This benefit is payable to any person born before January 1, 1908. This benefit was introduced in 1991 (on the 25th anniversary of the scheme) for persons already aged sixty or more when the scheme was introduced. The eligibility requirement was amended last year.

11) Funeral Grant

This benefit is payable on the death of a pensioner or a contributor who has satisfied the required contributory conditions. It can also be paid on the death of the spouse of a pensioner/contributor where the spouse is not a pensioner/contributor. This benefit must be claimed within a year after the date of death.

12) National Insurance Pensioner's Health Plan (NIGOLD)

This benefit is a health insurance plan for all NIS pensioners. Administered by Sagicor Life Jamaica, the plan provides pensioners with assistance for health expenses including doctors' visits, prescription drugs, diagnostic services, dental and optical services, hospitalisation (room, board and miscellaneous expenses) and surgery (surgeon's, assistant surgeon's and anaesthetist's fees).

13) Sugar Workers' Pension

This benefit is payable to persons who were previously covered under the Sugar Workers' Pension Scheme which was incorporated into the NIS. Persons no longer apply for this benefit.