General Reminders (2)
In today’s program, I will be highlighting a few important reminders for the general public.
Let’s start by taking a look at Life Certificates. Life certificates are being issued to all age, survivor, invalidity, disablement and disability pensioners. These certificates are to be completed and returned to Social Security Offices by August 15th, 2011. If the completed certificates are not returned by the stipulated date, your pension will be suspended.
Pensioners who have not received a life certificate form are asked to collect one from our Social Security Offices. Certificates are to be completed by a Minister of Religion, Notary Public, Senior Bank Officials or you may visit the Social Security Offices on both St. Kitts and Nevis with your passport, Social Security card or drivers license for further assistance. It is very important that the form is properly completed and your current address and contact number is clearly documented so that there may be no delay in getting your pensions to you.
Let us now turn to Cohabitation Certificates for Survivor Pensioners (Widow or Widowers). These forms are to be submitted annually and it is important to note that your MARITAL STATUS is required for further processing to occur. The forms should be completed by a Notary Public or a Minister of Religion and returned to the Social Security Office. Your pension will temporarily cease if there is no communication with our Social Security Offices.
Parents and guardians are also reminded that survivor children between the ages of 16-17 who are in receipt of Social Security Pension, will be paid up to 15th July 2011. Once this date has passed their pensions will cease but will be reinstated in September with full payment once they return to school or college. Certificates can be collected from the school the child is attending or you may visit the Social Security offices to collect a form.
Another important reminder is concerned with the Movement of Pensioners. If it is brought to the attention of Social Security, that a pensioner is out of the Federation for an extended period of time, his or her pension will be suspended until a valid location is provided to the Social Security Board. Kindly note also that pensions will end once a pensioner dies. Upon this occurrence, a close relative or someone who is connected to the deceased person should inform the Social Security Board and present an original copy of the Death Certificate and receipts of related expenses in order to claim the Funeral Grant.
The St. Christopher and Nevis Social Security Board is also embarking on its contribution statement project. Information provided on the contribution statement consists of:-
- names of all employers for whom you’ve worked
- wages reported and deductions made by these employers
- contribution weeks worked
Persons are encouraged to visit our offices on St. Kitts and Nevis to ensure that their current name, address and contact number are registered before these documents are dispatched.
Just before I conclude, let’s cover the matter of Monthly Reporting for the 4th and 5th Week within a Month. This should be of importance to employers. Remember that contributions are made for each Monday in a month. Always check your calendar for the correct number of Mondays. For example, February has 4 Mondays while January had 5. Hence, your report should reflect 4 contribution weeks for February and 5 contribution weeks for January.
Employers, kindly ensure that your name and Registration number are clearly stated on the Statement of Wages and Contributions, commonly referred to as the C3 Form. For employers with more than one registration number, remember that you are not required to place your inactive number on the C3 form unless the account has been reactivated.
Ensure that all forms and cheques are signed and dated and that the amount corresponds to what is printed on the completed forms.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact your nearest Social Security office and our friendly staff would be happy to assist you.