British Virgin Islands

Old Age, Disability, and Survivors

Regulatory Framework

First law: 1979 (social security).

Current law: 1980 (social security).

Type of program: Social insurance system.

Coverage

Employed and self-employed persons.

Voluntary coverage is available.

Source of Funds

Insured person: 3.25% of covered monthly earnings. The voluntarily insured contribute 7% of earnings.

The maximum annual earnings used to calculate contributions are $39,468 (rising to $40,300 on January 1, 2016).

Self-employed person: 8.5% of declared monthly earnings.

The maximum annual earnings used to calculate contributions are $39,468 (rising to $40,300 on January 1, 2016).

Employer: 3.25% of covered monthly payroll.

The maximum annual earnings used to calculate contributions are $39,468 (rising to $40,300 on January 1, 2016).

Government: None; contributes as an employer.

Qualifying Conditions

Old-age pension: Age 65 with at least 500 weeks of contributions.

Old-age grant: Age 65 with at least 50 weeks of contributions and does not qualify for an old-age or disability pension.

Old-age benefits are payable abroad.

Disability pension: Younger than age 65 with at least 250 weeks of contributions and assessed with a permanent incapacity for any work.

A medical doctor assesses the degree of disability every six months.

Disability grant: Younger than age 65 with at least 50 weeks of contributions, unable to work for at least the last six months, assessed with a permanent incapacity for any work, and does not qualify for an old-age or disability pension.

Disability benefits are payable abroad.

Survivor pension: The deceased received or was entitled to receive an old-age or disability pension or had at least 250 weeks of contributions at the time of death.

Eligible survivors include a widow(er) aged 40 or older or caring for a dependent child younger than age 15 (age 21 if a student) and orphans younger than age 15 (age 21 if a student).

Survivor benefits are payable abroad.

Survivor grant: The deceased did not qualify for an old-age or disability pension and had at least 50 weeks but less than 250 weeks of contributions at the time of death.

Funeral grant: Paid when an insured person or one of his or her dependents dies. The insured must have at least 26 weeks of paid contributions.

Old-Age Benefits

Old-age pension: 30% of the insured's average annual covered earnings plus 1% of average covered earnings for every 50-week period of contributions exceeding 500 weeks is paid.

Average annual covered earnings are the sum of earnings in the best 11 years in the last 15 years of contributions (or the total years of contributions, if less) before retirement divided by 11.

The maximum annual earnings used to calculate benefits are $39,468 (rising to $40,300 on January 1, 2016).

The minimum old-age pension is $260.

The maximum old-age pension is 60% of the insured's average annual covered earnings.

Retirement is not necessary.

The insured may receive the old-age pension and the survivor pension at the same time. The total amount received is 100% of the old-age pension plus 50% of the survivor pension, up to 100% of the insured's insurable earnings.

Old-age grant: A lump sum of six times the insured's average weekly earnings for every 50-week period of contributions from 51 to 499 weeks is paid.

Retirement is not necessary.

Permanent Disability Benefits

Disability pension: 30% of the insured's average annual covered earnings plus 1% of average covered earnings for every 50-week period of contributions exceeding 500 weeks is paid.

Average annual covered earnings are the sum of earnings in the best 11 years in the last 15 years of contributions (or the total years of contributions, if less) before retirement divided by 11.

The maximum annual earnings used to calculate benefits are $39,468 (rising to $40,300 on January 1, 2016).

The minimum disability pension is $260.

The maximum disability pension is 60% of the insured's average annual covered earnings.

The disability pension is replaced by the old-age pension at age 65.

The insured may receive the disability pension and the survivor pension at the same time. The total amount received is 100% of the disability pension plus 50% of the survivor pension, up to 100% of the insured's insurable earnings.

Disability grant: A lump sum of six times the insured's average weekly earnings for every 50-week period of contributions from 51 to 499 weeks is paid.

Survivor Benefits

Spouse's pension: 66.7% of the old-age pension the deceased received or was entitled to receive is paid to a widow(er) or cohabiting partner who lived with the deceased for at least three years.

Orphan's pension: 33.3% of the spouse's pension is paid; 66.7% for full orphans.

Spouse's grant: 66.7% of the old-age grant the deceased received or was entitled to receive is paid to a widow(er) or cohabiting partner who lived with the deceased for at least three years.

Orphan's grant: 33.3% of the spouse's grant is paid; 66.7% for full orphans.

Funeral grant: The grant depends on the age of the person at the time of death. For a child younger than age 1, $450 is paid; for a child aged 1 to 15, $1,950; for persons aged 16 or older, $3,000. The grant is paid to the person who pays for the funeral.

Administrative Organization

Social Security Board (http://www.bvissb.vg), managed by a tripartite board of directors appointed by the Minister of Health and Social Development, administers the program.

Sickness and Maternity

Regulatory Framework

First law: 1979 (social security).

Current laws: 1980 (Social Security (Benefits) Regulations); 2014 (Social Security (Amendment) Act); and 2015 (Social Security (National Health Insurance) Regulations).

Type of program: Social insurance system.

Coverage

Cash benefits: Employed and self-employed persons.

Medical benefits (National Health Insurance): Legal residents of the British Virgin Islands.

Source of Funds

Insured person

Cash benefits: 0.75% of covered monthly earnings.

National Health Insurance: 3.75% of covered monthly earnings.

The maximum annual earnings used to calculate contributions are $78,936 (rising to $80,600 on January 1, 2016).

Self-employed person

Cash benefits: 1.5% of declared monthly earnings.

National Health Insurance: 7.5% of declared monthly earnings.

The maximum annual earnings used to calculate contributions are $78,936 (rising to $80,600 on January 1, 2016).

Employer

Cash benefits: 0.75% of covered monthly payroll.

National Health Insurance: 3.75% of covered monthly payroll.

The maximum annual earnings used to calculate contributions are $78,936 (rising to $80,600 on January 1, 2016).

Government

Cash benefits: None; contributes as an employer.

National Health Insurance: Contributes as an employer; pays contributions for dependent children, unemployed elderly persons, needy persons, and prisoners.

The maximum annual earnings used to calculate contributions are $78,936 (rising to $80,600 on January 1, 2016).

Qualifying Conditions

Cash sickness benefits: Must have at least 26 weeks of contributions, including at least eight weeks of contributions in the 13 weeks before the incapacity began.

Cash maternity benefits: Must have at least 26 weeks of contributions, including at least 20 weeks of contributions in the 39 weeks before the expected date of childbirth.

Maternity grant: Must have at least 26 weeks of contributions.

Eligible parents include the mother, her husband, or her cohabiting partner who has lived with her for at least two years.

Sickness and Maternity Benefits

Sickness benefit: 66.7% of the insured's average weekly covered earnings in the 13 weeks before the incapacity began is paid after a three-day waiting period for up to 26 weeks.

There is no minimum weekly sickness benefit.

The maximum weekly sickness benefit is $464.12.

Maternity benefit: 66.7% of the insured's average weekly covered earnings in the 39 weeks before the expected date of childbirth is paid for up to 13 weeks, beginning no earlier than six weeks before the expected date of childbirth.

There is no minimum weekly maternity benefit.

The maximum weekly maternity benefit is $486.

Maternity grant: A lump sum of $300 per child is paid to each eligible parent.

Workers' Medical Benefits

The National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme covers a comprehensive package of primary, secondary, and tertiary care. Benefits include preventive care, diagnostic procedures, outpatient care, hospitalizations, surgery, acute and intensive care, medicine, mental health services, dental and eye care, prostheses, and rehabilitation.

Cost sharing: No copayment is required for medical treatment at community health clinics within the NHI network. Copayments vary according to whether the providers are in the NHI network and whether they are local or overseas: 5% for the local public hospital; 10% for local providers in the NHI network; 20% for out-of-network local providers and overseas providers in the NHI network; and 40% for out-of-network overseas providers.

Dependents' Medical Benefits

Medical benefits for dependents: Medical benefits for dependents are the same as those for the insured.

Administrative Organization

Social Security Board (http://www.bvissb.vg/), managed by a tripartite board of directors appointed by the Minister of Health and Social Development, administers the programs.

Work Injury

Regulatory Framework

First and current law: 1994 (employment injury).

Type of program: Social insurance system.

Coverage

Employed and self-employed persons.

Source of Funds

Insured person: None.

Self-employed person: 0.5% of declared monthly earnings.

The maximum annual earnings used to calculate contributions are $39,468 (rising to $40,300 on January 1, 2016).

Employer: 0.5% of covered monthly payroll.

The maximum annual earnings used to calculate contributions are $39,468 (rising to $40,300 on January 1, 2016).

Government: None; contributes as an employer.

Qualifying Conditions

Work injury benefits: There is no minimum qualifying period.

Temporary Disability Benefits

75% of average weekly covered earnings is paid for up to 26 weeks.

The maximum weekly temporary disability benefit is $569.25 (rising to $582 on January 1, 2016).

Permanent Disability Benefits

Permanent disability benefit: For a total (100%) disability, 75% of average weekly covered earnings is paid for up to 26 weeks.

The maximum weekly permanent disability benefit is $569.25 (rising to $582 on January 1, 2016).

Partial disability: For an assessed degree of disability of 30% to 99%, a percentage of the full pension is paid according to the assessed degree of disability.

A medical doctor assesses the degree of disability every six months.

A lump sum is paid for an assessed degree of disability of less than 30%.

Workers' Medical Benefits

Benefits include medical, surgical, dental, and hospital treatment; skilled nursing services; medicine; prostheses (including maintenance and repair); and the cost of transportation to and from medical services.

Survivor Benefits

Spouse's pension: 50% of the maximum survivor pension is paid to a widow(er) or a cohabiting partner who lived with the deceased for at least three years.

The maximum survivor pension is 75% of the deceased's average weekly earnings.

The survivor pension ceases on remarriage or cohabitation.

Orphan's pension: 16.7% of the maximum survivor pension is paid to each orphan younger than age 15 (age 21 if a student, no limit if disabled).

Other eligible survivors: Up to 50% of the maximum survivor pension is split equally among other dependent survivors.

Funeral grant: A lump sum of $3,000 is paid to the person who paid for the funeral.

Administrative Organization

Social Security Board (http://www.bvissb.vg), managed by a tripartite board of directors appointed by the Minister of Health and Social Development, administers the program.

Unemployment

Regulatory Framework

The Labour Code (2010) requires employers to provide severance pay to employees with at least 12 months of continuous service. Severance is paid in cases of redundancy, mental or physical incapacity, liquidation of the firm, in situations where the employee cannot continue to work without breaking a law, or if the employer dies. The benefit amount for full-time employees is three quarters of one day's pay multiplied by the number of months of service, or nine days' pay multiplied by the number of years of service. (Different formulas apply for casual, part-time, or piece-work employees.)