Dear Claudienne,

I live in Hanover and I have worked as a security guard for more than two decades at various locations across the island. On the 29th of October, 2020 I applied for my NIS pension. When I went to the NIS office in Lucea to find out when I will get the pension, they told me to call the head office in Kingston.

Since December 2021 I have been calling the NIS head office but the phone rings and stops and nobody answers.

I would appreciate your help.

NW

Dear NW,

The NIS Ripon Road office explained to Tell Claudienne that in the processing of your application for a pension it had to be established that you had made a minimum of 470 weeks’ contributions to NIS.

Because you had worked with several security companies it took the inspector a longer time to ascertain your total number of NIS contributions. The NIS Ripon Road office received your file with the total number of contributions in June 2022 and it was processed and sent to the head office’s claims department shortly thereafter.

Regretfully it has been established that you do not qualify for a pension and will only get a grant. Tell Claudienne recently learned from the Accounting Department of the NIS head office that because the bank had closed your account, the grant that they sent to your account was returned to the NIS.

The column notes that you unsuccessfully tried to reopen your account at the bank but experienced a problem because you wanted to use your middle name as your Christian name. You have explained that as a male you find the female Christian name on your birth certificate unacceptable, and have been substituting your middle name for your Christian name. However, the bank insists that the account must bear the name on your birth certificate. The NIS has also explained to Tell Claudienne that the grant cheque must bear the name as listed on your birth certificate.

For you to officially use your middle name as your (Christian) first name, you will have to do this legally by means of a deed poll.

We wish you all the best.

Have a problem with a store, utility, a company? Telephone (876) 936-9436 / 484-1349 or write to: Tell Claudienne c/o Sunday Finance, Jamaica Observer, 40-421/2 Beechwood Avenue, Kingston 5; or e-mail:edwardsc@jamaicaobserver.com. Please include a contact phone number.