Robert L. Bradshaw Social Security Building Annex
Photo By Erasmus Williams
Basseterre, St. Kitts – Nevis
November 30, 2009 (CUOPM)
The St. Christopher and Nevis Social Security Board is reporting an increase in new registrants for Insured Persons ““ Self-Employed and employees alike – in the third quarter of this year.
According to Social Security Vision, the official bulletin of the Board, compared to the second quarter of this year, there were 455 new insured persons, 68 newly registered self-employed persons, 53 new employers and 16 re-registered employers during the third quarter. Fifty employers ceased registration during the same period.
Social Security said employer registration increased by two percent, while there were 455 employee registrants ““ a 48 percent increase over the second quarter of this year. 292 new registrants were males while 163 were females.
Total contribution income amounted to EC$17 million comprising EC$16.74 million from employees and EC$270,000 from the self employed.
Social Security reports 3,116 claims were made, while 206 were disallowed. Some 2,581 persons were paid short-term benefits, with 2,295 getting sickness benefit, 114 maternity allowance, 124 maternity grants and 48 funeral grant.
255 persons receive employment injury benefits, 116 of them for injury, 2 medical expenses, 74 travel expenses, one burial grant and 58 pensions.
According to Social Security, there were 3,595 pensioners in payment in the third quarter with 2,976 of them receiving contributory pension and 619 assistance pension.
Just over EC$10 million was paid out in long term benefits, with EC$5,700,000 for age pension, 490,000 in Assistance Pension’ EC$570,000 in Survivors’ Pension; EC$490,000 in Invalidity Pension and EC$140,000 in Age grant.
Social Security said it paid out EC$2,250,000 in short term benefits with EC$1,590,000 for sickness, EC$480,000 for maternity allowance; EC$60,000 in maternity grant and $120,000 in funeral grant.