Caricom Reciprocal Agreement
Caricom Reciprocal Agreement Claim Forms
The Government of Grenada has signed reciprocal agreements with the O.E.C.S states, Caricom countries and with Canada. These agreements were signed the 31st May 1996, 9th November 1998 and 1st February 1999 respectively.The reciprocal agreement on Social Security was contracted between countries to foster unity among peoples and functional co-operation in the area of Social Security. It is a harmonization of legislations based on the principles of equality of treatment for residents of parties under their Social Security legislation as well as the maintenance of such rights notwithstanding changes of residence among their respective territories.
Benefits covered under the O.E.C.S agreement are:
- Sickness and Maternity benefits
- Funeral Grants
- Benefits in respect of employment injuries and occupational diseases.
- Invalidity, Age, and Survivors benefits
The Caricom agreement covers the following benefits:
- Invalidity pensions
- Disablement pensions
- Age or Retirement pensions
- Survivors pension
- Death benefits in the form of pensions
The agreement with Canada covers:
- Canada Old Age Security Pension
- Canada Pension plan retirement pension
- Canada pension plan disability pension
- Canada pension plan survivors pension
- Canada pension plan death benefit with Grenada
- Age pension
- Invalidity pension
- Survivors pension
- Funeral Grant
Under these agreements, arrangements are made for pooling the insurance
periods served in various countries, and for the payment of benefits by
one or more of the Social Security Schemes once the applicant has
qualified. For example to qualify for Age pension at 60 in Grenada
and St. Vincent requires five hundred, (500) weekly contributions. A
worker, insured for 300 weeks in St. Vincent and insured 200 weeks in
Grenada will qualify for pension in both countries at rates proportional
to the insured person's period worked in each country.
The agreements also provide for continuity of coverage. This means that
workers who are assigned or transferred by their employers from one
country to another will continue to contribute and receive benefits from
their first Social Security Scheme for periods ranging from two (2)
years to five (5) years.