Sierra Leone

Old Age, Disability, and Survivors

Regulatory Framework

First and current law: 2001 (social security).

Type of program: Social insurance system.

Coverage

Public- and private-sector employees.

Voluntary coverage for self-employed persons and for persons who leave insured employment.

Source of Funds

Insured person: 5% of monthly salary; the voluntarily insured pay 15% of monthly income.

Self-employed person: 15% of monthly income.

Employer: 10% of monthly payroll.

Government: 2.5% of monthly income; 10% for civil servants and teachers; 12% for military and police personnel.

Qualifying Conditions

Old-age pension: Age 60 or age 55 (military and police personnel) with at least 180 months of paid or credited contributions.

Periods of contributions prior to 2001 are credited to public-sector employees still in the labor force on January 1, 2002.

Employment must cease.

Early pension: Age 55 with at least 180 months of paid or credited contributions.

Old-age gratuity: Paid at retirement to each person who is entitled to an old-age pension.

Old-age grant: Age 55 with less than 180 months of paid or credited contributions.

Old-age benefits are not payable abroad.

Disability pension: Must be assessed with a permanent and total incapacity for work and be younger than age 60 with at least 60 months of paid or credited contributions, including at least 12 months of paid contributions in the three years before the disability began, or with at least a total of 180 months of paid or credited contributions. A six-month contribution period is credited for each year that a claim is made before the normal retirement age.

A medical officer certified by the medical board assesses the disability.

The disability pension ceases at the normal retirement age and is replaced by the old-age pension.

Disability grant: Must be assessed with a permanent and total incapacity for work but not qualify for a disability pension.

Disability benefits are not payable abroad.

Survivor pension: The deceased received or was entitled to receive an old-age or disability pension, or had at least 60 months of paid or credited contributions, including at least 12 months of paid contributions in the three years before the date of death.

Eligible survivors include widow(er)s, full orphans younger than age 18 (age 23 if a full-time student, no limit if disabled), and parents.

The widow(er)'s pension ceases upon remarriage.

Survivor grant: The deceased did not qualify for a survivor pension.

Survivor benefits are not payable abroad.

Old-Age Benefits

Old-age pension: 30% of the insured's average earnings for the first 180 months of paid or credited contributions plus 2% of average earnings for each additional 12-month period of paid or credited contributions is paid.

Average earnings used to calculate benefits are the average monthly earnings in the best 60 months of contributions.

The minimum monthly old-age pension is 50% of the national monthly minimum wage.

The national monthly minimum wage is 500,000 leones.

The maximum monthly old-age pension is 80% of the insured's average monthly earnings.

Early pension: The pension is reduced by 4% for each year the pension is claimed before age 60.

Old-age gratuity: A lump sum of 12 months of the pension is paid.

Old-age grant: A lump sum of 1.5 times the insured's average monthly earnings for each 12-month period of contributions is paid.

Benefit adjustment: Benefits are adjusted periodically according to changes in wages, depending on the financial resources of the National Social Security and Insurance Trust.

Permanent Disability Benefits

Disability pension: 30% of the insured's average earnings for the first 180 months of paid or credited contributions plus 2% of average earnings for each additional 12-month period of paid or credited contributions is paid. (If the insured has at least 60 months but less than 180 months of contributions, the difference between the insured's contribution period and 180 months is credited.) A six-month contribution period is credited for each year that a claim is made before the normal retirement age.

Average earnings used to calculate benefits are the average monthly earnings in the best 60 months of contributions.

The minimum monthly disability pension is 50% of the national monthly minimum wage.

The national monthly minimum wage is 500,000 leones.

Disability grant: A lump sum of 1.5 times the insured's average monthly earnings for each 12-month period of contributions is paid.

Benefit adjustment: Benefits are adjusted periodically according to changes in the cost of living, depending on the financial resources of the National Social Security and Insurance Trust.

Survivor Benefits

Survivor pension

Spouse's pension: 40% of the old-age or disability pension the deceased received or was entitled to receive is paid to the widow(er). If there is more than one widow(er), the pension is split equally.

Orphan's pension: Up to 60% of the old-age or disability pension the deceased received or was entitled to receive is paid for orphans.

Parent's pension: If there are no other eligible survivors, a lump sum of 12 months of the survivor pension is paid to a parent who is employed or receiving a pension (24 months if neither employed nor receiving a pension).

The maximum combined survivor pension is 100% of the old-age or disability pension the deceased received or was entitled to receive at the time of death.

Survivor grant: A lump sum of 1.5 times the insured's average monthly earnings for each 12-month period of contributions is paid.

Benefit adjustment: Benefits are adjusted periodically according to changes in the cost of living, depending on the financial resources of the National Social Security and Insurance Trust.

Administrative Organization

Ministry of Labour and Social Security provides general supervision.

National Social Security and Insurance Trust (http://www.nassitsl.org/) administers the programs.

Sickness and Maternity

Regulatory Framework

No statutory benefits are provided.

Employers provide cash maternity benefits and medical care for employees and their dependents through collective agreements. The Free Health Care Initiative (introduced through a presidential decree) provides free medical care for pregnant and lactating mothers as well as children younger than age 5.

Work Injury

Regulatory Framework

First law: 1939.

Current law: 1960 (workmen's compensation).

Type of program: Employer-liability system through a private carrier.

Coverage

Employed persons.

Exclusions: Self-employed persons, agricultural employees working on plantations with less than 25 workers, household workers, casual workers, family labor, and home-based workers.

Source of Funds

Insured person: None.

Self-employed person: Not applicable.

Employer: The total cost (pays insurance premiums or provides benefits directly to employees).

Government: An annual contribution.

Qualifying Conditions

There is no minimum qualifying period.

Temporary Disability Benefits

66.7% of the insured's earnings is paid after a three-day waiting period for up to 96 months.

The benefit may be paid as a lump sum, calculated according to the expected duration of benefit.

Permanent Disability Benefits

Permanent disability pension: If the insured is assessed with a total disability, a lump sum of 48 months of earnings is paid.

Constant-attendance allowance: If the insured requires the constant attendance of others to perform daily functions, up to 25% of the insured's permanent disability pension is paid.

Partial disability: A percentage of 56 months of earnings is paid, up to a maximum, according to the assessed degree of disability.

Workers' Medical Benefits

Medical benefits include medical, dental, and surgical care; hospitalization; medicine; appliances; and the cost of transportation, up to a maximum.

Survivor Benefits

Survivor benefit: A lump sum of 42 months of the deceased's earnings (minus any disability benefits paid) is paid to the deceased's dependents; a reduced benefit is paid if partially dependent on the insured.

Funeral grant: If there are no other survivors, a lump sum is paid to cover the cost of the burial, up to a maximum.

Administrative Organization

Ministry of Labour and Social Security provides general supervision.

Employers may insure against liability with private insurance companies.