Invalidity Assistance
What is needed to claim Invalidity Assistance? Who is eligible to receive Invalidity Assistance? What is Invalidity Assistance? How long is Invalidity Assistance paid? What is the rate of payment for Invalidity Assistance?
Old Age Non-Contributory Pension (OANCP)
Who is eligible to receive OANCP? How long is OANCP paid? Are there any plans to increase the rate of payment? What is the rate of payment for OANCP? What is verification? Is the verification process carried out annually? What is the Old Age Non-Contributory Pension (OANCP)?
Sickness Assistance
How long is Sickness Assistance paid for? What is needed to claim Sickness Assistance? What is Sickness Assistance?
Survivors Assistance
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What is needed to claim Invalidity Assistance? In order to claim Invalidity Assistance, a doctor's certificate/letter stating that the claimant is permanently incapable of work; a passport or birth/baptismal certificate or affidavit verifying date-of-birth; and a completed application form for Invalidity Assistance are needed. A home visit, to determine need must be done before the claim can be processed. Who is eligible to receive Invalidity Assistance? Persons who are Bahamian residents aged between 16 and 65 years; who are permanently incapable of work; who do not qualify for Invalidity Benefit, and who are needy are eligible to receive Invalidity Assistance. What is Invalidity Assistance? Invalidity Assistance is paid to a claimant who is permanently incapable of work, and does not qualify for Invalidity Benefit. How long is Invalidity Assistance paid? Invalidity Assistance is paid for as long as the claimant remains permanently incapable of work and continues to meet the other qualifying conditions. What is the rate of payment for Invalidity Assistance? Persons who qualify for Invalidity Assistance now receive $160, payment will increase to $180 as of January, 1999.
Who is eligible to receive OANCP? Old Age Non-Contributory Pension (OANCP) is awarded to: a) a person who immediately before October 7, 1974, was in receipt of pension under the Old Age Pensions Act; or b) a person who has reached the age of 65 years, has retired from gainful occupation and who, being an insured person, fails to qualify for Retirement Benefit on account of insufficient contributions and is determinee to be needy; or c) a person who has reached the age of 65 years and has retired from gainful occupation, is needy and who, not being an insured person, is resident in The Bahamas at the date of claim for assistance. Also, he/she must be a citizen of The Bahamas or had been ordinarily resident in The Bahamas, and had worked as an employed or self/employed person, for a period of not less than twelve months without interruption within the fifteen years immediately preceding the date of the claim. How long is OANCP paid? OANCP is paid for life, or until the claimant's status changes. Persons receiving OANCP who leave The Bahamas for more than three (3) months, will have their payments discontinued, unless the Director authorizes continued payment. OANCP payments will be increased from $160 per month to $180 per month, as of January,1999. Are there any plans to increase the rate of payment? Yes. The rate of payment will be increased from $160 to $180 per month, as of January, 1999, and to $200 as of July, 2001. What is the rate of payment for OANCP? At the moment, OANCP is paid at a rate of $160 per month. What is verification? Verification is the process whereby pensioners are required to "prove that they are alive and are who they say they are." Pensioners are required to bring in some form of picture identification in order to be verified, for example a passport, or Voter's Card. Is the verification process carried out annually? No, the verification process is to be carried out at least twice annually. What is the Old Age Non-Contributory Pension (OANCP)? Old Age Non-Contributory Pension is a payment made to a Bahamian resident who is 65 years old or older, who does not qualify for Retirement Benefit, and who has been assesed as being needy based on the "Test-of-Resources."
How long is Sickness Assistance paid for? Sickness Assistance is paid for 156 days or 26 weeeks. What is needed to claim Sickness Assistance? A medical certificate completed by the doctor stating the period of incapacity (sick leave) is required to claim for Sickness Assistance. What is Sickness Assistance? Sickness Assistance is a payment awarded to a person who had previously worked as an employed or a self-employed person, who is rendered incapable of work other than as a result of an employment injury; who had made at least one contribution in the contribution year, or the 52 week period immediately preceding the first day of incapacity for work, and who has been found to be needy.
Is there a limit to the number of persons who may qualify/receive Survivors' Assistance in respect of one death? No. How long is Survivors' Assistance paid? Survivors' Assistance is paid for varying periods. For example, ordinarily a spouse is paid for life, however payment will stop should he/she co-habits or remarries; dependent children are disqualified when they marry, reach the age of 16 years or 21 years if still in school. What is needed to claim/process Survivors' Assistance? In order to claim Survivors' Assistance, the claimant must bring in a copy of the deceased person's death certificate, a marriage certificate in the case of a spouse and a birth certificate in the case of a child(ren). Additionally, a completed Survivors' Benefit/Assistance claim form is also needed. Can Survivors' Assistance be paid to Bahamian citizens who reside outside the Bahamas? No. Survivors' Assistance is only to be paid to needy Bahamian residents, claimants must continue to maintain their residency status following the award in order for payment to continue. What is the "test-of-resources"? The resources of each person making a claim for an assistance or OANCP, must be asessed on a regular basis, should these resources exceed the maximum amount stated in the Act, the claim will be rejected. The following are considered in assessing the claimant's resources: 1. the income, money earned as wages or from investments - capital resources such as dwelling home and land are not considered. 2. any sum paid by the claimant under a court order or maintenance agreement is deducted from the income; 3. if the balance is $30 or less, $60.00 or less in the case of husband and wife living together, the claimant(s) will be considered to be needy. What is Survivors' Assistance? Survivors' Assistance is a payment made to the needy survivors of a deceased person who did not have the minimum 150 contributions to qualify for Survivors' Benefit.