Pensioners

When To Submit A Claim

All claims in respect of Long-term benefits must be submitted within 3 months of the date that the person becomes eligible or qualified to receive the benefit. However, in order to speed up the processing of your claim, it is advisable that it be submitted as early as possible. For example, claims for Age benefit should be submitted as early as possible to allow us to conduct the necessary pre-processing checks.

Supporting Documents

  1. For all Long-Term benefits, the appropriate Application form must be completed and submitted along with the Insured person’s Birth Certificate and Social Security Card.
  2. A Bank Payment Order form must be completed to indicate at which bank the pension should be lodged.
  3. Persons who have worked in other CARICOM countries should indicate periods of employment and submit all other Social Security/NIS numbers when submitting claim.
  4. Claims being made in respect of Invalidity benefit or Disablement benefit, must be accompanied by a Medical Report certifying the state of incapacity.
  5. For claims being made in respect of Survivors benefit, the following must also be presented:
    • Death Certificate
    • Marriage Certificate (where applicable)
    • A notarized statement confirming the union where the relationship was common-law
    • Birth Certificate of each of the claimants.
  6. Claims for Funeral Grant must be supported by a copy of the Death Certificate and the bills/receipts for the funeral expenses in the name of the Claimant. If the person who met the expenses wishes to have the Grant paid to a different person, a letter to this effect must be written to the Director.

How Pension Is Paid

Long-Term benefits are payable by direct deposits into the pensioners’ bank accounts on a fortnightly or monthly basis. The Claimant should indicate on the Bank Payment Order whether he wishes the cheque to be deposited on a fortnightly or monthly basis.

General Information

  • When submitting your claim please ensure that you state whether you were employed in any country with which Dominica has a Reciprocal Agreement on Social Security.
  • Every pensioner is required to complete a Certificate of Life form every year as proof that he is alive, and in receipt of his pension.
  • A person in receipt of Long-term benefit is responsible for informing the DSS office of any change in circumstances affecting his continued rights to such benefit. (For example, a widow or widower in receipt of Survivors benefit is responsible for informing the DSS if she or he remarries or cohabitates).

Please take note that it is an offense to receive benefit for which one is not eligible. Regulations provide that any amount so received MUST be refunded to the Fund.

Retirement Age

Since 2021, the Pensionable Age has been set at Age 65.

Notwithstanding the Pensionable Age, provisions have been made whereby persons, who wish to do so, can opt to receive their Age Pension earlier than Age 65. In that regard, age 60 shall remain the age at which Age Pensions first become payable, but at a reduced rate of 0.5% per month for every full month prior to the Age 65.

Please note that with effect from 2012, and consequent upon amendments to the Social Security legislation, the Pensionable Age (i.e. the age at which an Insured Person becomes eligible for an Age Pension from the DSS) increased incrementally by six (6) months every year – until the year 2021, when the Pensionable Age reached Age 65. Against that background, the Pension Age Computation Chart details eligibility for full Age Pension consequent to the incremental increase in Pension Age from 2012.

Pensionable Age Computation Chart

Year Of Birth Month Of Birth (Month Range) Retirement Year Retirement Age
1952 January – June 2012 60 1/2
July – December 2013 61
1953 January – June 2014 61 1/2
July – December 2015 62
1954 January – June 2016 62 1/2
July to December 2017 63
1955 January – June 2018 63 1/2
July – December 2019 64
1956 January – June 2020 64 1/2
July – December 2021 65
After 1956 65

(N.B. 1/2 year = 6 Months)

Pension Percentage Computation Chart


The following Chart gives the approximate pension percentage an Insured Person is likely to receive upon retirement. Please be advised that the “Number of Working Years” cited in the table is based upon the assumption that the person worked for a period of 52 weeks per year.

Number Of Full Working Years Cumulative Number Of
Contributions Paid
Corresponding Percentage Of
A.W.I.E. Payable As Pension
10 500 to 549 30
11 550 To 599 31
12 600 to 649 32
13 650 to 699 33
14 700 to 749 34
15 750 to 799 35
16 800 to 849 36
17 850 to 899 37
18 900 to 949 38
19 950 to 999 39
20 1000 to 1049 40
21 1050 to 1099 41
22 1100 to 1149 42
23 1150 to 1199 43
24 1200 to 1249 44
25 1250 to 1299 45
26 1300 to 1349 46
27 1350 to 1399 47
28 1400 to 1449 48
29 1450 to 1499 49
30 1500 to 1549 50
31 1550 to 1599 51
32 1600 to 1649 52
33 1650 to 1699 53
34 1700 to 1749 54
35 1750 to 1799 55
36 1800 to 1849 56
37 1850 to 1899 57
38 1900 to 1949 58
39 1950 to 1999 59
40 2000 and over 60

Pension Calculation Program

The DSS Pension Calculation program is under development but is designed to provide an estimate of what your pension is likely to be, based on present legislation, and data currently available. Check back soon.

Dependent Children

Dependent Children are all the biological children, step children, or legally adopted children of a deceased Insured Person who at the date of the parent’s death was below the age of 18, and was living with, or wholly or mainly maintained by the deceased.

Certificate Of Life Form

A Certificate of Life form is a certificate attesting to the fact that the Pension recipient is alive and in receipt of his pension. The form must be signed by the pensioner in the presence of a witness who must be one of the following persons: Justice of the Peace; Notary Public; Lawyer; Police Officer (Sergeant or above); Ordained Minister of Religion; Doctor; Family Nurse Practitioner; School Principal; Licensed Surveyor; Banker or Credit Union senior Personnel; Social Security Departmental Manager or Compliance/Field Officer. For benefit recipients residing overseas, the Certificate of Life form must be notarized.