Old-age Non-Contributory Pension
Basic Information
Country
Geographic area
Institutions and agencies involved
Population group
Elderly persons
Programme Details
Programme objectives
This non-contributory pension programme, which has its foundation in National Insurance Act of 1972, is aimed to provide assistance to the elderly who didn't qualify for retirement pension and who are determined to be vulnerable by a means test. In order to maintain their eligibility, the recipients should not be absent from Bahamas for more than 3 months.
Programme components
Targeting and eligiblity
Targeting methods
Eligibility criteria
Persons who have attained age 65 who do not qualify for retirement benefit. To be eligible for the pension, the person has to be a citizen, or an ordinary resident in Bahamas and should have worked as an employed or self-employed person for a period of no less than 12 consecutive months within the 15 years preceding the time of application. People who were in receipt of pension under Old-age Pensions Act before October 1974 continued to be eligible for the pension under OANCP. The participant of the pension programme must provide verifying documentations twice per year. If the recipient of the pension fails to go through the verification system within the designated time period, the benefits will be suspended, and it can take up to 2 months to be resumed. According to the amendment act of 2012, former recipients of the Retirement Grant who qualify for OANCP can also receive the non-contributory pension once the effective months of the assistance by the grant have been terminated.
Eligibility reassessment (if any)
Coverage and other information
Amount of benefits
Payment/delivery frequency
Benefit delivery mechanism
Benefit recipients
Legal Framework
