Why Should You Read This ?
Who Can Receive Maternity Benefits?
What Are The Necessary Contribution Conditions For Payment Of Maternity Benefits?
For What Period Is Maternity Allowance Payable?
How Much Is The Benefit?
How To Apply For Maternity Allowance?
What Is The Time Limit For Claiming Maternity Allowance?
How Is Maternity Allowance Paid?
Disqualification Of Maternity Benefits
Who Can Receive Maternity Grant?
What Are The Contribution Conditions For Maternity Grant?
How Much is Maternity Grant?
How Long Do You Have To Claim for Maternity Grant?
How is Maternity Grant Paid?
The purpose of this Guide is to give general information to the insured person as to his / her rights and obligations under the National Insurance Scheme. If more specific information is required on any aspect of the Scheme, please contact any office of the National Insurance Board. It is important whenever you communicate with any Office of the National Insurance Board to indicate your national insurance umber which has been allocated to you at the time of your registration as an insured person.
The birth of a child should be an exciting and very special time in a family’s life. Educating yourselves on National Insurance Maternity Benefits is essential to making childbirth a natural process and not a financial distress. This serves as an explanation of the National Insurance Benefits for the insured woman who is incapable of work due to maternity.
Who Can Receive Maternity Benefits?
Maternity Allowance can be paid to a pregnant woman, if she is registered with the National Insurance Board. if she satisfies the necessary contribution conditions. Her contributions could have been paid either as an employee or self-employed person but not as a Public Officer.
What Are The Necessary Contribution Conditions For Payment Of Maternity Benefits?
Once registered, the employee is allocated a national insurance number and a registration card is issued bearing his/ her name and national insurance number. The employee is responsible for the safe custody of the registration card and must produce his card to his employer when commencing employment with a new employer or whenever the employer may ask for its production.
For What Period Is Maternity Allowance Payable?
Maternity Allowance pay period starts 5 weeks before the date the insured woman expects to give birth and continues for 14 weeks. That is to say that the insured woman would normally receive benefits for five weeks before her expected week of confinement, the week of confinement and 6 weeks after the expected week of confinement. If confinement occurs after the expected week, the Maternity Allowance will extend to cover not more than six weeks after the actual date of confinement. Maternity allowances ceases when the woman returns to work. If there is a case where the insured woman dies, no maternity benefits will be paid for any period after her death.
How much an insured woman can receive from the National Insurance Board for Maternity Allowance depends on her average weekly earnings. Therefore, the higher her earnings, the higher her benefits will be. The weekly rate of Maternity Allowance is 60% of the average weekly earnings calculated on the weekly income during the first 13 weeks of the last 26 weeks prior to the date of confinement. The daily rate of Maternity Allowance is calculated by dividing the weekly rate by 6.
How To Apply For Maternity Allowance?
Claims for Maternity Allowance must be submitted at least six weeks before the expected week of confinement. If the insured woman fails to submit her claim 6 weeks prior to the expected week of confinement, she must claim at least two weeks before the expected week of confinement to avoid penalty. If the claim is submitted late, payment of Maternity Allowance is made 21 days retroactively from the date of the claim. For this reason, the insured woman should apply for Maternity Allowance on time, so that she does not lose benefits. In exceptional cases, however, where the claimant can prove there was good cause for the delay in claiming, the period of 21 days may be extended to 13 weeks.
What Is The Time Limit For Claiming Maternity Allowance?
Claims for Maternity Allowance must be submitted at least six weeks before the expected week of confinement. If the insured woman fails to submit her claim 6 weeks prior to the expected week of confinement, she must claim at least two weeks before the expected week of confinement to avoid penalty. If the claim is submitted late, payment of Maternity Allowance is made 21 days retroactively from the date of the claim. For this reason, the insured woman should apply for Maternity Allowance on time, so that she does not lose benefits. In exceptional cases, however, where the claimant can prove there was good cause for the delay in claiming, the period of 21 days may be extended to 13 weeks.
How Is Maternity Allowance Paid?
Maternity Allowance is paid every two weeks by a cheque. The cheque can be collected at the nearest Board’s office and must be cashed within 6 months of the date of its issue. If you prefer, you may include the name of your bank and your current or savings account information so your benefits can be directly deposited.
Disqualification Of Maternity Benefits
The insured woman is disqualified from receiving Maternity Allowance in the following cases: – If she does any remunerative work during the period for which the allowance is payable; or – If she fails without good cause to submit herself for a medical examination.
Maternity Grant
The Maternity Grant is a lump sum payment available from the National Insurance Board. This will tell you who may receive the benefit, how to apply, and what you need to do if your claim for Maternity Grant is disallowed.
Who Can Receive Maternity Grant?
Maternity Grant is payable to a woman who has given birth to a child/children if at the date of her confinement, she satisfies the relevant contribution conditions. For women who are not employed or self-employed, the qualifying weeks can be calculated on their husband’s contributions. “Confinement” means labour resulting in the birth of a child whether alive or dead provided labour occurred after 28 weeks of pregnancy. The Maternity Grant is payable to all employed persons.
What Are The Contribution Conditions For Maternity Grant?
To qualify for Maternity Grant, an employee or self-employed person must have: – not less than 26 contributions paid into the National Insurance Board; – at least 8 contributions paid by or credited on his/her behalf in the first 13 weeks of the last 26 weeks immediately before the week in which confinement occurs.
How Much is the Maternity Grant?
The amount of Maternity Grant is $600.00
How Long Do You Have To Claim for Maternity Grant?
A mother can claim Maternity Grant by completing and submitting a Maternity Grant application form to the nearest National Insurance Board’s office. When submitting your claim for Maternity Grant you will need to include these documents: – A Birth Certificate of the child. – Marriage Certificate (if you are claiming on your husband’s record).
If your application for Maternity Grant is approved, you will receive your benefit by cheque. You can collect the cheque at the nearest Board office. Please ensure that the cheque is cashed within six months from the date that it was issued.
Direct Deposit
We are encouraging new claimants to submit the name of their bank along with their current or savings account number so that benefits can be deposited directly to their bank account. The procedure is simple and safe and eliminates the need to collect your cheque at the Board’s office and then take it to the bank to be cashed. Duplicate Rights Where a person is entitled to two (2) or more benefits paid periodically at the same time, he/she will receive the benefit payable at the highest rate. Appeals If a decision is made to disallow your claim for Maternity Allowance, a letter will be sent to you explaining our decision. If you disagree with our decision, you have the right to appeal. An appeal must be submitted to the Appeals Tribunal within 21 days from the date of the decision. If we are wrong, the claim will be allowed; however, if you are still not satisfied with the decision of the Appeals Tribunal, you can take the grievance to the Supreme Court on a point of law only.
Please Note: This web page gives a general overview of the National Insurance Board Maternity Benefit. The information it contains is not intended to cover all the provisions as set out by the law. To learn more about the TCI National Insurance Board and benefits of interest to you contact the National Insurance Board.