First law: 1937 (assistance).
Current law: 1966.
Type of program: Social insurance system.
Exchange rate: U.S.$1.00 equals 2.0 Barbadian dollars (B$).
Employed persons, including public employees, and self-employed.
Exclusions: Unpaid family labor.
Insured person: 3.90% of earnings; self-employed, 7.80%.
Employer: 3.90% of payroll.
Government: None, except as employer.
Minimum earnings for contribution purposes: B$21 per week or B$91 per month; self-employed B$1,092 per year.
Maximum for contribution and benefit purposes: B$715 per week or B$3,100 per month.
Old-age pension: Age 65; 500 weeks of contribution credited with at least 150 weeks actually paid.
During transitional period, 25 weeks credited for each year after age 45; maximum, 350 weeks of credited contributions.
Disability pension: Under age 65; 150 weeks of contributions.
Survivor pension: 150 weeks of contributions paid by deceased (50 weeks for funeral grant).
Old-age pension: 40% of average insurable earnings during best 3 years of last 15 (less if fewer contribution years), plus 1% of earnings per 50 weeks of contributions after 500 weeks of contributions.
Minimum benefit: B$98 per week.
Old-age settlement: Lump sum equal to 6 weeks' earnings for each 50 weeks of contribution, if ineligible for pension.
Disability pension: Same as old-age pension, above.
Disability settlement: Same as old-age settlement, above.
Survivor pension: 50% of pension paid or payable to insured if age 50 or disabled.
Payable for 12 months only to younger widow or widower.
Orphans: 16-2/3% of pension of insured payable to each child under age 16 (to age 21 if student; no limit if disabled before age 16), 33-1/3% if full orphan or disabled.
Minimum survivor pension: B$98 per week.
Funeral grant: B$1,000. (Payable to person covering cost of funeral.)
Ministry of Finance, general supervision.
National Insurance Office, administration of program; directed by tripartite board.
First and current law: 1966.
Type of program: Social insurance system. Cash benefits only.
Employed persons, including public employees, and self-employed.
Exclusions: Unpaid family labor. Permanent government employees excluded for sickness insurance.
Insured person: 0.82% of wages; self-employed 1.64% of earnings.
Employer: 0.82% of payroll.
Government: None. As employer contributes 0.32% of earnings towards maternity benefit.
Cash sickness benefits: Insured for 13 weeks; 7 weeks of contribution paid in the second quarter preceding incapacity, currently employed or 39 contributions in the 4 consecutive quarters before incapacity.
Cash maternity benefits: Insured for 26 weeks; 16 weeks of contribution paid in the 2 consecutive quarters ending with the 2nd quarter preceding contingency. (Self-employed: 39 weeks of contribution in the 4 consecutive quarters ending with the second quarter preceding the contingency).
Maternity grant: Woman fails to meet coverage requirements, but spouse does meet requirements.
Sickness benefit: 66-2/3% of average insurable earnings.
Payable after 3-day waiting period for up to 26 weeks. (May be extended to 52 weeks with 150 weeks' paid contributions, of which 75 contributions paid or credited in 3 years before year of onset.)
Waiting period waived if illness lasts 21 or more days.
Maternity benefit: 100% of average earnings.
Payable for up to 6 weeks before and 6 weeks after confinement.
Maternity grant: Lump sum of B$500.
Medical benefits: None provided under insurance.
Medical care available in public hospitals and health centers "free" of cost.
Medical benefits for dependents: Same as for insured person.
Ministry of Finance.
National Insurance Office, administration of program; directed by tripartite board.
First law: 1916.
Current law: 1966.
Type of program: Social insurance system.
Employed persons, including public employees and share fishermen.
Exclusions: Self-employed and unpaid family labor.
Insured person: None.
Employer: 0.75% of payroll.
Government: None, except as employer.
Minimum earnings for contribution purposes: B$21 per week or B$91 per month. Maximum for contribution and benefit purposes: B$715 per week or B$3,100 per month.
Work-injury benefits: No minimum qualifying period.
Temporary disability benefit: 90% of average insurable earnings.
Payable after 3-day waiting period for up to 52 weeks.
Waiting period waived if disabled 3 weeks.
Permanent disability pension: 90% of average earnings if totally disabled.
Partial disability: Percent of full pension proportionate to degree of disability. Lump-sum grant if disability is less than 30%.
Constant-attendance supplement: 50% of pension.
Medical benefits: Reimbursement of expenses for medical, surgical, dental, and hospital treatment; nursing care; medicines; appliances; and transportation.
Survivor pension: 50% of temporary disability benefit payable to dependent spouse.
Orphans: 16-2/3% of temporary benefit for each child under 16, 33-1/3% if full orphan or disabled.
Maximum survivor pension: 100% of temporary disability benefit payable to deceased.
Funeral grant: B$1,000. (Payable to person covering cost of funeral of insured worker or spouse.)
Ministry of Finance, general supervision.
National Insurance Office, administration of program.
First and current law: 1982.
Type of program: Social insurance system.
Employed persons aged 16-64. Exclusions: Self-employed, family labor, and permanent government employees.
Insured person: 0.75% of earnings.
Employer: 0.75% of payroll.
Government: None, except as employer.
Minimum earnings for contribution purposes: B$21 per week or B$91 per month. Maximum for contribution and benefit purposes: B$715 per week or B$3,100 per month.
Unemployment benefit: Under age 65; insured for 52 weeks; 20 weeks of contributions in 3 consecutive quarters ending with the second quarter preceding unemployment; 7 weeks of contributions in the second quarter preceding unemployment.
Unemployment benefit: 60% of average insurable weekly earnings for 26 weeks.
Payable after 3-day waiting period for up to 26 weeks in any 52-week period. Waiting period waived if unemployed 21 or more days.
Ministry of Finance, general supervision.
National Insurance Office, administration of program.