Barbados National Insurance Scheme > Guide to Benefits:  

1. Employed Persons

To qualify for maternity benefit, an employed person:

1. must have been insured for at least 26 contribution weeks; and
2. must have paid at least 16 contributions in the two contribution quarters but one before the contribution quarter in which the benefit could become payable.

2. Self-Employed Persons

To qualify for maternity benefit a self-employed person must satisfy the following conditions:

1. she must not have less than 39 contributions paid or credited to her account in the four consecutive quarters ending with the quarter but one before the contribution quarter in which benefit could become payable;
2. she must have paid at least 16 contributions in the two contribution quarters but one before the contribution quarter in which the benefit could become payable.

The daily rate of maternity benefit is 100% of the insured person's average insurable weekly earnings, divided by 6.

Average insurable weekly earnings means the sum of the insurable earnings on which contributions were based over the two contribution quarters but one before the contribution quarter in which maternity benefit is payable divided by the number of weeks in the quarters.

If at the end of the maternity benefit period the insured person is incapable of work because of pathological complications of confinement¹, sickness benefit may be paid provided that on the first day from which maternity benefit was payable the insured person had title to sickness benefit.

Payment of maternity benefit is not affected by any payments which the employer may make to the claimant while she is off  for maternity leave.

Maternity benefit is not payable to a person who is out of the island unless that person has gone for the purpose of receiving medical attention.