Sometime ago, I attended a debate that pitted the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College against the Charlestown Secondary School’s 6th Form, on the issue of whether and how Self employed coverage under Social Security was a good thing. The debate was held at the UWI center, St Kitts. St Kitts won in opposition.
The lead debater for St Kitts knocked Nevis out of the water by posing the question “How much coverage can $50.00 buy for the poor vendor who sells outside the schoolyard?” Nevis declined to answer, so I will.
That vendor fits into the special category that is determined by the Director of Social Security. She – and it is usually a female – pays $50.00 only in those 5 months of the year that have five Mondays. Otherwise she only pays $40.00. This small sum buys her a sickness benefit of $64.98 per week for up to 6 continuous months. If the sickness persists, and the doctor determines that she can no longer sell at all, then the $40.00 buys her an invalidity pension of $300.00 per month until she reaches age 62 which is the pensionable age. And when she reaches age 62, she would get her age pension which would be at least $300.00. The point needs to be emphasized that this will be her pension, her RIGHT, earned by virtue of her compliance. Even better, she will not need to apply for the Assistance pension which is a privilege subject to the approval of the Directorate of the Social Security Board.
And if she was of childbearing age and pregnant, she would qualify for either a maternity grant of $450.00 or for a maternity benefit of $844.74.
Two things in life are certain: death and taxes. When she passes at the age of close to 80 (women’s life expectancy is approaching 80), her family will receive $2,500 to help with her funeral. If she passes earlier and leaves dependent children, a spouse (whether legal or common law) and dependent parents, then they too could receive a benefit; the child until the age of majority, the spouse until he marries or co-habits with someone else, and the parents until they depart this life.
Payment in such circumstances is, at minimum, $72.00 for each child, $150.00 for the spouse and $72.00 for each dependent parent who at the time of death is 62 years or older. And if, God forbid, her dependent child dies, she gets anywhere between $400 and $1600 to pay for the funeral, depending on the age of the dependent child.
Pity that I’m too old for the Leeward Island Debating Competition!
Vendors are survivors. They are smart. We know that they will shop around for the best deal on the market. Check any insurance, any benevolence, any money institution and then come back to us. The best deal is at Social Security in our Self Employed coverage that was started in July 1996.
Of course there are qualifying conditions to satisfy. Chief among them is full compliance, that is, payment of all due contributions on time. We would be pleased to counsel any vendor who requires more information about ‘the best thing that has happened to St Kitts and Nevis since adult suffrage’.
It is open day – every day – at Social Security. So come in to our Social Security offices in Basseterre or in Charlestown; or call us at 465 2535/469 5245 or e-mail us at ssb.reform@socialsecurity.kn.
ALL VENDORS ARE ALLOWED!
