Barbados National Insurance Scheme > Guide to Benefits:  

A surviving spouse and children of a deceased insured person qualify for a Survivors' Benefit, if the deceased at the time of death was receiving or was qualified to receive Invalidity or Old Age Contributory Benefit.

If the deceased had qualified for a grant, the Survivors' Benefit would be a lump sum payment.

If the deceased had qualified for a pension, the Survivors' Benefit would be in pension form.

Children who qualify for Survivors' Benefit are unmarried children including adopted children and stepchildren who at the date of the parent's death were living with or were wholly or mainly maintained by the parent.

Survivors' pension is payable in respect of a child until his 16th birthday. Where the child is in full time education at an approved educational institution, until his 21^st birthday.

If a child is an invalid he retains his qualification for survivor's benefit so long as invalidity lasts.

A common-law spouse may be treated as a surviving widow/widower when no legal spouse exists.

A spouse of 50 years or over who had been married for not less than three years at the time of the partner's death qualifies for a pension for life or until he/she becomes entitled to a pension in his/her own right at a higher rate. However Survivor's Benefit is not payable in respect of a marriage contracted after an insured person had been granted an invalidity or old age contributory pension.

An invalid spouse below the age of 50 who had been married for not less than three years at the time of the partner's death qualifies for a pension during the period of invalidity.

All other spouses qualify for a pension for one year.

Payments to survivors cease on marriage, remarriage or cohabitation as man and wife.

Survivors' Benefit payable to a widow/widower is one-half of the amount which would have been payable as Invalidity or Old Age Contributory Benefit to the deceased spouse had he/she been alive.

Survivors' Benefit payable to a child is one-sixth of the amount which would have been payable to the parent had he/she been alive. However, if a child is an orphan or an invalid, he/she may receive one-third.

Where no spouse is entitled to Survivors' Benefit, the full amount of Survivors' Benefit may be paid in respect of children of the deceased.

In no case can the total Survivors' Benefit payable exceed the amount which would been payable to the deceased person at the time of his/her death.