CMNT_TITLE

Social Security (Minimum Standards) Convention, 1952 (No. 102) - Barbados (RATIFICATION: 1972)

1. The Committee takes note of the statistical data provided by the Government in reply to its previous direct request concerning Part XIV (Miscellaneous provisions), Article 76 of the Convention (in conjunction with Articles 15, 33 and 61).

2. Part X (Survivors' benefit), Article 60, paragraph 1. The Committee notes from section 37 of the National Insurance and Social Security (Benefit) Regulations, 1967, as amended, and from the information provided by the Government that widows' life pensions are only granted to widows who are invalids or are over 50 years of age. The Committee recalls in this connection that, under Article 60, paragraph 1 of the Convention, a widow's right to survivors' benefit may be made conditional on her being presumed, in accordance with national laws or regulations, to be incapable of self-support. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would indicate whether the present economic, social and cultural conditions in Barbados are such as that widows of under 50 years of age with dependent children are likely to be capable of self-support. It also asks the Government to state whether widows who do not fulfil the conditions laid down in section 37 of the above-mentioned Regulations are eligible for other benefits upon expiration of the one-year period provided for in said section 37, paragraph 1(c), if they have dependent children.

3. Part XI (Standards to be complied with by periodical payments), Article 65 or 66 of the Convention (in conjunction with Articles 16, 36 and 62). The Committee notes with interest the statistical data provided by the Government. With regard to the amount of survivors' benefit, the Committee recalls that under section 40 of the above-mentioned Regulations, the amount of the survivors' benefit paid to a widow with two dependent children attains 37.5 per cent of the breadwinner's average wage that is subject to contribution, where the breadwinner has completed the qualifying period of 15 years of contribution laid down in Article 63, paragraph 1(a), of the Convention, whereas according to Article 65 of the Convention, read in conjunction with the schedule annexed to Part XI, the rate should attain 40 per cent for the above period of contribution. The Committee none the less notes from the information provided by the Government that the minimum amount of survivors' benefit paid to a widow with two children is 58 dollars per week. In these circumstances, the Government can also avail itself of Article 66 of the Convention in calculating whether the amount of survivors' benefit attains the percentage laid down by the Convention. It therefore asks the Government to provide the information required under Titles I and IV of Article 66 of the report form adopted by the Governing Body, stating, in particular, the minimum amount of survivors' benefit paid to a standard beneficiary (widow with two children) in relation to the amount of the wage of an ordinary adult male labourer chosen in accordance with paragraph 4 or 5 of Article 66.