Grenada/Canada Agreement
Guide to Agreement
Caricom Social Security Agreement |
GUIDE TO CANADA / GRENADA, CARRIACOU & PETITE
MARTINIQUE
RECIPROCAL AGREEMENT
Introduction
With effect from February
1, 1999, Grenada, Carriacou & Petite Martinique
Canada Reciprocal Agreement was enforced in
Canada and in Grenada, Carriacou and Petite
Martinique.
1.What is the Canada and Grenada, Carriacou & Petite
Martinique Reciprocal Agreement?
It is an arrangement between the Government of Grenada, Carriacou &
Petite Martinique and the Government of Canada
to allow persons who have worked and lived in
Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique and
persons who have lived and worked in Canada to
qualify for pensions from either Grenada,
Carriacou and Petite Martinique or Canada or
from Grenada Carriacou and Petite Martinique and
Canada.
2. What is the purpose of the agreement?
The purpose of the Agreement is to protect the benefit rights of
persons who would have lived and worked in
Canada and Grenada, Carriacou and Petite
Martinique.
The laws of Grenada,Carriacou and Petite Martinique and the laws of
Canada require that a person complete a minimum
period of residence or contributions before
becoming entitled to a pension. Persons who have
spent part of their lives in Canada and part in
Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique may not
have completed periods of sufficient length in
any one country to qualify for a pension. Under
the Reciprocal Agreement, arrangements are made
for the pooling (adding together) of the periods
under the Social Security/National Insurance
program of Canada/Grenada, Carriacou and Petite
Martinique to allow the persons to receive the
benefit for which he/she qualifies.
In addition, the Agreement will also ensure continuity of social security
protection when someone is sent from one country
to the other in the course of his/her
employment.
3. What benefits are offered under the Agreement?
The agreement covers the following branches of Social Security.
- Canada old age
security pension
- Canada pension plan
retirement pension
- Canada pension plan
disability pension
- Canada pension plan
survivor's pension
- Canada pension plan
death benefits
4. How does a person
qualify for the Canada Old Age Security Pension?
A person may qualify for an
old age security pension if he/she: has reached
age 65, and has resided in Canada for at least
one year since reaching age 18, and was a
Canadian citizen or legal resident of Canada at
the time of his/her departure, and has resided
in Canada and contributed to the National
Insurance of Grenada, Carriacou and Petite
Martinique for a total of at least 20 years
since reaching age 18. Additionally, a person is
not required to have worked in Canada to be
eligible for this pension; neither must he/she
cease employment before he/she can start to
receive a pension.
5. How does a person
claim the Canada Old Age Security Pension?
If a person is 64 years of
age and has resided in Canada for at least one
year since reaching age 18, or was a Canadian
citizen or legal resident of Canada at the time
of departure, or has resided in Canada and has
made a total of 20 years contribution to NIS of
Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique since
reaching age 18, then the persons should submit
an application for Old Age Security Pension.
6. Where can I
receive the claim form?
Claim forms are available
free of charge from the National Insurance,
Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique or from
the International Operations, Income Security
Program, Human Resources Development Canada,
Ottawa, Ontario Canada KIA 0L4.
7. How does a person
qualify for a Canadian Pension Plan Retirement
Pension?
A person may qualify for a
Canada Pension Plan Retirement pension if
he/she:
- has made contributions
to the Canada Pension Plan since January,
1966
- has reached age 60 but
has not yet reached age 65, and
- is no longer
contributing to the Canada or Quebec Pension
Plan and to the
- National Insurance of
Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique; or
- he/she is still
contributing to the Canada Pension Plan but
has substantially ceased working (i.e. if
when the pension begins, the annual rate of
earnings from employment or self-employment
does not exceed the annual amount of the
maximum retirement pension payable to person
whose pension begins at age 65)
- has reached age 65
(regardless of whether he/she is still
working)
8. How does a person
qualify for a Canada Pension Plan disability
pension if
A person may qualify for a
Canada Pension Plan disability pension if
he/she:
- has become disabled,
and
- has not yet reached
age 65, and
- has made contributions
to the Canada plan since January, 1966
- has contributions to
the Canada plan since January, 1966
- has contributed to
Canada Pension plan or the National
Insurance of Grenada, Carriacou and Petite
Martinique during four of the six years
immediately prior to his/her disablement
A person can only claim
this benefit if the person's disability is of an
indefinite duration or is likely to result in
death or if the person cannot regularly pursue
any substantial gainful occupation.
9. Can a disabled
persons children claim disability pension?
Yes, if a person qualifies
for a disability and he/she has dependent
children (including adopted children) in his/her
care, the child may qualify for a disabled
contributors' child benefit if he/she is:
- under age 18
- between the ages of 18
and 25 in full-time attendance at school or
university
10. How does a
person qualify for a Canada Pension Plan
surviving spouses pension?
A person may qualify for a
Canada Pension Plan surviving spouse's pension
if his/her spouse:
- is deceased, and
- had made contributions
to the Canada Pension Plan since 1966
- had contributed to the
Canada Pension Plan or the National
Insurance of Grenada, Carriacou and Petite
Martinique for a minimum period (which can
vary between three and ten years, depending
on the spouse's age at the time of death)
and if he/she
- had reached age 35 at
the time of the spouse's death or
- had not reached age 35
at the time of but -is disabled -was caring
for a dependent child (including an adopted
child) at the time of .the spouse's death
Surviving spouse's pensions
are payable under the same conditions to widows
and widowers and in common-law relationships.
Pensions are payable even if the person
remarries.
11. How does a
person qualify for an orphan's benefit under the
Canada Pension Plan Orphans Benefit?
A dependent child
(including an adopted child) of a deceased
person may qualify for an Orphans benefit if
he/she is:
- under age 18, or
- between the ages of 18
and 25 and in full time attendance at school
or university, and if the deceased parent:
- had made contributions
to the Canada Pension Plan since January,
1966, and
- had contributed to the
Canada Pension Plan or the National
Insurance of Grenada, Carriacou for a
minimum period (which can vary between three
and ten years depending on the contributors
age at the time of death)
12. Who qualifies
for a Canadian Pension Plan Death Benefit?
A single-payment death
benefit may be paid to the estate of a deceased
person or, the absence of an estate to the
person responsible for the funeral expenses, the
surviving spouse or the next of kin, if the
deceased person:
- had made contributions
to the Canada Pension Plan anytime since the
start of the plan in January, 1966 and
- had contributed to the
Canada Pension Plan or the National
Insurance of Grenada, Carriacou and Petite
Martinique for a minimum period (which can
vary between three and ten years depending
on the contributor's age at the time of
death)
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