After 19 years senior citizen gets $4M pay out from NIS

Dec 14, 2018 News

After almost two decades, the National Insurance Scheme, (NIS) finally relented to a senior citizen’s request to pay out benefits which totaled $4 million but not without a little help from her lawyers.
The recipient, who declined to have her full name disclosed, was represented by the law firm of Christopher Ram and Associates.
According to a document seen by this newspaper, the elderly woman identified as Ms. Hoppie, was continuously employed at Bank DIH Limited from 1981 until her retirement in 2000.
After celebrating her 60th birthday, Hoppie applied to NIS for her pension but was told that she did not have sufficient contributions required to benefit from the pension scheme.
Given the explanation proffered by NIS, Ms Hoppie was instead given a grant of almost $80,000 for her contributions to NIS.
The woman later appealed to the NIS Review Board over the decision not to grant her a pension but the appeal was unsuccessful. The pensioner was told that her contribution to NIS stood at 725 when the number required is 750 contributions.
Dissatisfied with the response from NIS, the woman now 79 years old, approached the lawyers at Ram and Associates.
The law firm made contact with the woman’s former employers, Banks DIH, who provided records of the employment and remits to NIS.
The law firm then wrote to NIS and attached the information provided by Banks DIH.
NIS had previously referenced missing contributions for February 1991 to April 1992 and May 1993 to June 1994 on behalf of Ms Hoppie.
However the scheme made no mention of contributions for 1985 which was in dispute.
Bank DIH had supplied records of the woman’s contribution for that year.
And given the records provided by Banks, NIS conducted a search and found the contributions.
In the circumstances, the woman through her lawyer Christopher Ram, requested the full contributions for the year 1985 be credited to Ms. Hoppie’s record of contributions and that she be paid an NIS pension with effect from the June 5, 1999, the date of her 60th birthday, with interest payable at a rate of six per cent per annum within fourteen (14) days.
In the letter, dated October 10, last, the lawyer noted the failure by NIS to act on the request would result in legal proceedings taken against the scheme.
NIS has since paid. In addition, a decision was taken for Ms Hoppie to receive her monthly benefits.

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