“Thousands” of NIB checks uncollected, says minister

“Thousands” of NIB checks uncollected, says minister

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Public Service Minister Brensil Rolle revealed yesterday that thousands of NIB benefit checks remain uncollected at the National Stadium.

In March, the government launched an unemployment benefits program to assist workers impacted by the ongoing global pandemic, which has seen a worldwide spread of a contagious and deadly coronavirus.

However, some applicants have complained of weeks-long periods without receiving benefits.

“[There are] thousands of checks for individuals at the sports center,” Rolle told Eyewitness News.

“People are complaining that they didn’t get pay, but the checks are sitting up at the sports center, waiting for them to be collected.

“When I say thousands, I [mean] thousands of checks and they are waiting for individuals to collect them because people make the application and they don’t do anything else other than say ‘I didn’t get paid’.”

Rolle advised anyone who had qualified and applied for the benefit to visit the National Stadium during the available time and see if their checks are ready for collection.

He explained that officials have been publishing the names of workers whose checks were ready in the newspapers and on social media, however, Rolle said that it has not been enough.

“If the number persists after the two weeks of lockdown then we’ll have to take the next steps to perhaps arrange for individuals to pick up their check son certain days from either a renewed site or form tents or something,” he said.

“I hear the cry of individuals who say that they don’t have any money or national insurance has not been responsive, but generally speaking, the checks are there, they’re sitting at the sport center’s office and no one has collected.”

The NIB minister said some of the checks are dated to the start of the program.

Despite the country being on a 23-hour lockdown, the new emergency orders permit the National Insurance Board to open to the general public to distribute cheques at the National Stadium on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays between the hours of 9am and 5pm.

The government allocated $48 million to finance the expansion of the government’s unemployment assistance programs administered. An online portal for the program was launched last month.

Individuals who were unemployed due to the COVID-19 shutdown between March 23 – June 30, and continue to be unemployed, are eligible for the extension programme if they fall under one of four categories: Persons who have exhausted their 13 weeks of NIB’s unemployment benefit (UEB) payments which became payable because of layoffs/termination due to COVID 19; Individuals who were enrolled in the Hurricane Dorian UEB Extension Programme and had exhausted the 13 weeks of extended payments; Individuals who were employed in full time employment for at least three months before the COVID-19 related shutdown and were under the age of 35 but did not meet the required number of contributions to claim NIB’s unemployment benefit and self-employed individuals in the tourism sector who were previously enrolled in the Government-funded Unemployment Assistance (UEA) Programme.

Eligible individuals will receive $150 per week for a maximum of 13 weeks during periods of unemployment.

About Sloan Smith

Sloan Smith is a senior digital reporter at Eyewitness News, covering a diverse range of beats, from politics and crime to environment and human interest. In 2018, Sloan received a nomination for the “Leslie Higgs Feature Writer of The Year Award” from The Bahamas Press Club for her work with Eyewitness News.

7 comments

Why would they send Freeport checks to Nassau, that’s why they are not collected because the people are in Freeport

All those unpicked up checks belongs to Freeport. I been waiting 2 months for a transfer. I know at least 100 persons been waiting for a transfer, some been waiting three months. I contacted Nassau four times, they are looking into it, Freeport NIB said they can only ask for the transfer, Nassau is the hold up. All of Freeport checks sitting on Thompson Robinson Stadium on Thompson road, my coworker went to Nassau to get her checks from NIB, we can’t afford to travel to Nassau for NIB.

This sounds unbelievable….like Freeport cks I would think if I am employed in Freeport and my nib payments
paid in Freeport THEN I assume these people’s cks go to NIB Freeport. Do People know where to pick up cks? and is there sufficient staff to help give out Are they in alphabetical order or in 101 batches.
THOSE CKS NOT HELPING NOBODY SITTING IN THE STADIUM. WHAT A MESS..
I think those cks just reach…..

Yet another sign of how this government is dysfunctional and inept. Wake up Bahamas!!! I hope we are all keeping score .

So the web shops figured out a way to payout and collect deposits … and the government can send the money to Suncash or Cash n Go Freeport for collection or any island effected by banking from Dorian time ?
For people who don’t have bank accounts.
Can’t the government entrust one of the mailboat captains with a package of the checks to deliver to Freeport NIB office or if there is security risks then respond to email addresses with an access code for persons to go to RBC Freeport or any bank opened and collect their cash with proper ID.

They using this BOGUS Island Pay app what holding on people hard earned money and don’t want to pay it out! But when u go to n.i.b its no comment how they expect ppl to survive. Instead of asking what pay method ppl prefers they just throw your money in these people hand.

Would like to know if my name is on the list Beverley Gray ,freeport,Grand Bahama

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