Fmr. Teacher among several benefiting from NIS ‘credited’ contributions

The National Insurance Scheme through its board has been facilitating the pay out of pensions and benefits for several persons who may have had varying issues with their contributions.

The NIS Board has been considering this these requests through what is known as the ‘reserved question’ which allows for contributions to be added to someone’s existing records once the employee provides proof of employment and their contributions.

The “reserved question” on these contributions is provided for in the National Insurance Scheme “Regulation 3.”

The issue came up after the relative of a senior government official was identified as one of the persons who will be paid a $1.5 million pension. Based on NIS records, the contributions recorded by the NIS fell short of the number of contributions needed in order to have her pension and other benefits.

General Manager of the NIS Holly Greaves told this publication when contacted, that there was no special treatment or singling out of the government official’s relative.

Greaves said that the reserved question on contribution is where the board makes a decision based on evidence put to the NIS by a contributor that they have paid over their contributions but the records at NIS do not reflect those contributions accurately.

She explained that in the case of the government official’s relative who secured a $1.5 Million in added contribution to her existing contribution, taught in the government school system for years and there was a mix-up with her contributions.

Based on documents which this publication has received, the records show that the former teacher only had 744 contributions in her name when the law requires 750 or more before a pay out can be made.

It was however noted that in the training years of the teacher who served at several schools, before she became a qualified teacher, deductions were being made for NIS but those deductions were not reflected in the system, The system only reflected contributions from when she became a qualified teacher.

Several documents sent to this publication show that the issue was investigated by NIS and a decision was made for the addition to her existing benefits.

Asked why the records were not previously updated, Greaves said “Sometimes we do not know, this is like all other cases, the records are not updated, we needed information from the employers and employees, we have many people complaining that they have short contributions and we do tell them they have to bring any bring records they have.”

The GM said that the NIS is working to ensure that persons who have contributed are paid their pensions and benefits, “Regulation three says that the Board could look at whether a person was employed or not as a reserved question and based on the evidence that this lady provided, this lady came in and said she worked at those places and a report was put up to me and my job is to take it to the board.”

Greaves maintained that persons should bring these issues to the Insurance Scheme as it is seeking to resolve similar issues.