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Words and terms as used by Social Security

When you read about Social Security, or talk with someone from Social Security, you may see or hear words that you may not fully understand, or understand in the same way as they are used by Social Security. Here are some words that have a special meaning for Social Security. The official meaning is given first, followed in some cases by further explanation. Whenever you are talking with a person from Social Security and they say something you don't understand, don't hesitate to ask the person to explain.

Actuary - means a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries or of the Faculty of Actuaries of Great Britain or a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries of the United States of America, or any Institute which is a member of the International Association of Actuaries.

An actuary is an expert in statistics and probability. An actuary studies a group of people, and can predict how many will probably get sick or hurt, how many will die, how many will retire, and how many will be born. The actuary cannot say which person will get sick or have an accident, but a professional actuary can say with great accuracy how many people will get hurt or be sick. All insurance schemes, whether public or private, use the work of actuaries. It is only after an actuarial study that premiums and benefits can be set. The Social Security Act requires that only the work of a professional actuary be used in deciding how much people should pay in Social Security contributions, and how much people can collect in benefits. That is why an actuary must belong to a professional organization for his or her work to be accepted. Only qualified actuaries are allowed to join such organizations.

Appointed day - in relation to any provision of the Social Security Act or to any class of insured person means day appointed under Section 1 in respect of that provision or class.

Appropriate day - in relation to the payment of any benefit has the meaning assigned to it by Regulation 15 (of the Claims and Payments Regulations).

Award - means an award of benefit.

We usually think of an award as a prize we have won. Social Security uses award to mean paying an insured person a benefit that the insured person is qualified to receive.

Beneficiary - means a person entitled to a benefit.

Benefit - means a benefit which is payable under the Social Security Act.

The benefit is what we receive after we have met all the requirements that are given in the Social Security Act. Some benefits are lump sum cash payments, made one time only; these are called grants. Other benefits are paid over a period of time; these are called pensions or allowances (e.g. Maternity Allowance).

Benefit regulations - means the Social Security (Benefit) Regulations, Statutory Instrument No. 82 of 1980.

These are the rules that say how much we can receive / be paid. Some of the rules are a bit complicated, which is why we always need to ask the people at Social Security to explain exactly how much benefit we may be entitled to.

Board - means the Social Security Board established under Section 28 of the Social Security Act.

Child - means an unmarried child and includes in relation to an insured person an adopted child, a stepchild and illegitimate child.

Claim - means claim for benefit.

Claims and Payments Regulations - means the Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations, Statutory Instrument No. 81 of 1980.

These are the rules that say how we are to go about claiming a benefit, and how Social Security is to give us that benefit.

Claimant - means a person claiming a benefit under the Social Security Act.

Confinement - means labour resulting in the issue of a living child or labour after twenty-eight weeks of pregnancy resulting in the issue of a child whether alive or dead.

Contribution - means a contribution payable under the Social Security Act.

This is the money the Self Employed pay into Social Security on their behalf as per Schedule II on pages 12 - 15.

Contribution week - means a period of seven consecutive days commencing from midnight on any Sunday.

Contribution year - means the period of fifty-two to fifty-three weeks beginning with the first Monday in any calendar year.

Credited contribution - means a contribution credit under Regulation 61 (Benefits Regulations).

In certain cases an insured person is granted credit for a contribution when no actual cash contribution is made, e.g. when on sick leave.

Date of development - for the purpose of a first claim in respect of a prescribed disease suffered by a person, the date on which he develops the disease.

The day we get sick.

Death benefit refers to periodical payments in respect of an injured person who dies as a result of such (work-related) injury or (prescribed) disease as fore said.

Disablement benefit - that is to say, in addition to such free medical care and attention as may be prescribed, periodical payments or a lump sum grant to an insured person who as a result of such injury or disease as fore said sustains loss of faculty.

Earnings - means in relation to a Self Employed person, the income declared in respect of their business, trade or profession.

"Earnings" refers to how much money we make.

Employed person - means a person employed in insurable employment as defined by Section 3 (Social Security Act).

Employer - means any person who employs or on whose behalf any other person employs any person.

The person or company we work for.

Employment - includes any trade, business, profession, office or vocation and "employed" shall be construed accordingly except in the expression: employed person".

The job we have.

Employment Injury - means an injury arising out of and in the course of employment.

We may have an accident at work or on our way to or from work. Or, we may get sick because of something that happens to us at work, such as exposure to harmful chemicals.

Employment Injury benefit - that is to say, in addition to such free medical care and attention as may be prescribed, periodical payments to an insured person who suffers personal injury by an accident arising out of and in the course of insurable employment or develops any prescribed disease being a disease due to the nature of such employment resulting in incapacity for work.

This is the benefit paid to an insured person who gets hurt in an accident at work, or is hurt in an accident going to or from work.

Funeral grant - a payment in respect of an insured person who dies as a result of such (work-related) injury or (prescribed) disease as aforesaid.

A Funeral Grant may also be paid on the death by natural cause of an insured person, or of the spouse or dependent child of the insured person.

Incapable of work - means incapable of engaging in gainful occupation by reason of some specific disease or bodily or mental disablement or deemed, in accordance with regulations to be so incapable.

This means we may be too sick to work.

Injury benefit period - has the same meaning assigned to it by Regulation 39 of the Benefit Regulations.

This is how long we can collect a benefit when we get hurt.

Inspector - means an officer of the Board designated as such in accordance with Section 40 of the Social Security Act.

Social Security inspectors regularly visit the people making contribution payments and ensure that everyone working is registered with Social Security. It is the job of the Social Security inspector to protect our rights under the Social Security Act.

Insurable employment - means with respect to the self-employed any employment specified in Schedule I.

Insured person - means a person insured under the Social Security Act.

An insured person is a person who is registered with Social Security and has insurable employment. A self-employed person means a person gainfully occupied in Belize who is not employed by an employer.

Invalidity benefit - that is to say periodical payments or a lump sum payment to an insured person who is rendered permanently incapable of work otherwise than as a result of employment injury.

This is the benefit we may be entitled to if we get too sick to work at any kind of job, and if the Medical Board says we are not likely ever to be able to work again.

Maternity benefit - that is to say:

(i) To an insured woman a maternity allowance by means of periodical payments in the event of her pregnancy or confinement.

(ii) A grant to an insured man in respect of his wife's confinement or to an insured woman.

This is the first benefit anyone is entitled to, because by helping the mother-to-be, the maternity benefit helps the unborn child.

Medical Board (Medical Referee) - means respectively a board or a medical practitioner appointed under Regulation 7 (Claims and Questions Regulations).

The Medical Board or a medical referee looks at our case and tells Social Security whether or not the insured person is invalid (because of sickness), or disabled (because of employment injury).

Medical certificate - means a certificate issued by a registered medical practitioner.

This is what we need to take to Social Security when we claim benefits for sickness or injury.

Medical examination - includes bacteriological and radiological tests and similar investigations and reference to being medically examined shall be construed accordingly.

Medical Practitioner - means a person registered under the Medical Practitioners Registration Act and includes any Government Medical Officer.

For Social Security provided medical care an Approved Medical Practitioner is one who is registered with Social Security to provide such medical treatment.

Paid contribution - means a contribution actually paid by or in respect of an insured person in accordance with the provisions of the Social Security Act.

Permanently incapable of self-support - means in relation to survivors' benefit or death benefit, a person who is so incapable by reason of a specific disease or bodily or mental disablement which is likely to be permanent.

Prescribed - means prescribed by regulations under the Social Security Act.

These are the requirements designated by Social Security regulation for providing services and benefits.

Recognized seasonal employment - means employment for the duration of the recognized season in the sugar or citrus industry or in any other similar industry where employment of the same nature is recognized as such by the Board.

Registration card - means the Social Security Registration Card issued under the Social Security Act to a person registered as an insured person.

Our Social Security card shows that we can legally work, and the number on the card is the number Social Security uses to keep track of our contributions and benefits.

Regulations - means regulations made by the Minister under the Social Security Act.

These are additional rules that the Minister responsible for Social Security can make. No such regulation can be made which would go against what is provided for in the Social Security Act.

Relevant accident - means the accident in respect of which benefit is claimed or payable.

Relevant injury - means respectively the personal injury or the loss of faculty resulting from the relevant accident.

Relevant person - means, for the purpose of survivor's benefit or death benefit, the deceased insured person in respect of whom the benefit is claimed or payable

Remunerative work - means work for which wages or other remuneration is paid or would ordinarily be payable and includes any work performed by the person concerned for the purpose of his own trade, business or profession.

Remunerative work means we get paid in some way for what we do.

Retired Person - A person is deemed to be a retired person if after attaining the age of sixty he has received retirement benefit in accordance with the Benefit Regulations or a refund of contributions under Regulation Nine of the Contributions Regulations.

Retirement benefit - that is to say periodical payments or a lump sum payment to an insured contributor who has attained the age of sixty.

Schedule - means a Schedule to the Social Security Act.

These are the tables that show how much our contributions are, and how much our benefits can be. Also refers to lists, such as the Prescribed Diseases List, etc.

Self-employed person - means a person gainfully occupied in Belize who is not a person employed under an employer.

A person who has worked for someone else and then starts working for himself; such a person can apply to make contributions to Social Security and continue to be an insured contributor .

Sickness benefit refers to periodical payments to an insured contributor who is rendered temporarily incapable of work otherwise than as a result of employment injury.

Social Security Investment Committee - means the committee established under Section 49 (Social Security Act).

This is the committee that recommends to the Social Security Board whether or not an investment of money from the Social Security Fund would be a good idea. The Investment Committee must first approve any loan or investment from the fund before the Board can approve it. The committee is there to protect our money.

Survivors' benefit refers to periodical payments or a lump sum payment made in respect of an insured contributor who dies, otherwise than in consequence of an employment injury.

This is the money paid to the people left behind when an insured contributor dies.

Survivors may include the husband, wife, children, and parents of the insured contributor.

"The husband" - in relation to a person who had married more than once refers only to the last husband respectively.

"The wife"- in relation to a person who had married more than once refers only to the last wife respectively.

Unpaid apprentice - means an apprentice who, under his contract of apprenticeship, receives no pecuniary remuneration.

Voluntary insured contributor - means an insured contributor whose insurance under the Social Security Act is continued voluntarily pursuant to Section 4 and Voluntary Contributions Regulations.

If an insured contributor stops working or becomes self employed, that person can choose to keep on making contributions and apply to do so at Social Security. Such a person is called a voluntary contributor. A person who works for himself, and whose application to make voluntary contributions is approved by Social Security, can make contributions and increase the value of his long term benefits.