Pensions

An Ordinary Member of the Association who has retired from employment in good financial standing with the PSA, shall upon retirement, be automatically transferred to Honorary Membership of the Association and shall be exempted from payment of all dues but, except where otherwise provided for in this Constitution, shall not be eligible to vote for or be voted for any office.

Pensions, Gratuities and other allowances are granted to Public Officers whose termination of Service takes place under the following conditions:-

• Retirement (Special Permission)

The officer must have at least ten (10) years pensionable service and attained age 50 years. The Officer must obtain prior approval from the relevant Service Commission or delegated authority to retire between the ages 50-55 years.

• Voluntary retirement

The officer having attained age 55 years has to inform the Service Commission or relevant authority of the date he or she wishes to retire. There must be prior notice and acknowledgement from the Service Commission or delegated Authority before someone can be deemed to have retired.

• Compulsory Retirement

The Service Commission may require an Officer to retire from the Service of Trinidad and Tobago at any time after he attains the age of 60 years or in a special cases at any time after he attains the age of 50 years.

• Retirement on Grounds of Marriage

A female officer having at least 5 years’ Service and confirmed in a pensionable post may retire from the Government Service for reason that she married or is about to married and is not eligible for a grant of any pension or gratuity, she may be granted on production within six (6) months after her retirement or such longer period as the President may allow, of satisfactory evidence of her marriage, a gratuity not exceeding 1/12 of a month’s pensionable emoluments (month’s salary) for each completed month of Service under the Government of Trinidad and Tobago or 1 year’s pensionable emolument (1 year’s salary) whichever is less.

• Retirement in the Public Interest

Where an officer’s Service is terminated on the ground that having regard to the conditions of the Public Service, the usefulness of the office thereto and all other circumstances of the case, the termination is desirable in the public interest, and a pension, gratuity or other allowance cannot otherwise be granted to him under this Act, the President may, if he thinks fit, grant such pension, gratuity or other allowance as he thinks just and proper, not exceeding in amount that for which the officer would be eligible if he retired from the Public Service by reason of some infirmity of mind or body likely to be permanent.

• Abolition of Office:

If any officer holding pensionable office retires or is removed from the Public Service in consequence of the abolition of his office or for the purpose of facilitating improvements in the organization of the department to which he belongs by which greater efficiency and economy can be effected, he may be granted a temporary pension, subject to the condition  that he holds himself ready to be recalled to service except that if the officer is not qualified for other employment or if there is no reason he can be re-employed, a pension may be granted to him free from the above mentioned conditions.

• Retirement on Grounds of Ill Health

An officer who is the holder of a pensionable post having not attained the age of fifty-five years (in special cases fifty years) on submission of medical evidence to the satisfaction of the President that he is incapable, by reason of some infirmity of mind or body of discharging duties of his office and the infirmity is likely to be permanent, a pension shall be granted to him.

• Death gratuity 

Where an officer holding a pensionable office who is not serving on promotion or agreement, dies while in the Service of Trinidad and Tobago, the President may grant a gratuity of an amount not exceeding one year’s pensionable emoluments of the officer r his commuted pension gratuity if any, whichever is the greater, and any gratuity so granted shall be paid to his legal personal representative.

• Injury Allowance

Where an officer holding either a pensionable or a non-pensionable office under the Government of Trinidad and Tobago has been permanently injured:-

1. In the actual discharge of his duty, and
2. Without his own default, and 
3. By some injury specifically attributable to the nature of his duty.

And his retirement is thereby necessitated or materially accelerated, he may be granted in respect of such injury in addition to the pension, if any, granted to him under these regulations, an annual allowance in proportion to the extent of his injury.

Gratuity: An officer, otherwise qualified for a pension, who has not completed ten years’ Service may be granted on retirement a gratuity not exceeding five times the annual amount of the pension which if there had been no qualifying period might have been granted to him.

Yes. Pensions or other allowances can be ceased under the following conditions:-

1. Bankruptcy
2. Conviction
3. On accepting certain appointments

The President may apply part of a person’s pension towards the maintenance of his wife or children:-

(i) Where an order of maintenance has been made by a Court of competent jurisdiction.

(ii) Where any person to whom a pension has been granted has left Trinidad and Tobago and deserted and left his wife or children within Trinidad and Tobago without sufficient means of support.

(iii) Where any person to whom a pension has been granted has been adjudicated a person of unsound mind and has a wife or a child or children.

Option: 

An officer to whom a Pension is granted under Pension Act Ch. 23:52 is required to exercise his option for either:-

1. Full Pension;
2. Gratuity and Reduced Pension

Full Pension:

This is a monthly pension paid to a maximum which is equivalent of 2/3 of final salary. When an officer opts for full Pension he receives no Gratuity or (Lump Sum). Pension is calculated at the rate of 1/600th of pensionable emoluments in respect of each complete month of service. 

Gratuity and reduced Pension:

Gratuity is calculated at the rate of 12 ½ times a ¼ of Full Pension. Reduced Pension is ¾ of Full Pension.

The option exercised may be revoked not later than the day immediately preceding the date of the officer’s retirement. If an officer who has not exercise his option dies after he has finally retired but before a Pension has been awarded, the President may grant a Gratuity and Reduced Pension as provided for as if the officer before his death had exercised the option.

Pensionable Service

Service is counted for pension purpose from age 17 years and over;

The officer must have at least ten (10) years pensionable Service;

Where Service is in a civil capacity other than in a pensionable office the non-pensionable service is counted for pension purpose subject to the following conditions:-

• No calendar year in which the officer has worked less than 156 days (hereinafter called a non-effective year) shall be reckoned for gratuity;
• An aggregate of seven (7) non-effective years shall be a bar to inclusion of any year prior to the earliest of the years making up such aggregate.

Where an officer is seconded or temporarily transferred for duty in the Service of Trinidad and Tobago from a pensionable office to an office or employment which would not entitle him to pension under the Pension Act Ch. 23:52, the period during which he serves in the office or employment shall be counted for pension as if the officer had not been seconded or temporarily transferred unless the President in any case otherwise decides.

Where a period of service as a Teacher, Fire Officer or Public Officer is or has been immediately followed by Service in a pensionable office under the Government of Trinidad and Tobago the whole of the period with the approval of the President is to be taken into account as pensionable Service.

Yes! Where if it is established to the satisfaction of the President that an officer has been guilty of negligence, irregularity or misconduct, the pension, gratuity or allowance may be reduced or altogether withheld.

Section 9 (1) of the Act– No officer shall have an absolute right to compensation for past services or to pension , gratuity or other allowance under this Act, nor shall anything herein or in the regulations contained limit the right of the state to dismiss any officer without compensation.

The Pensions Amendment (Act) No. 14/80 was deemed to have come into operation on 1st January, 1977 and extends to persons who on that day were serving officers in receipt of pension or eligible to receive pension under the Pensions Act No. 23:25.

The amendment provides the following:-

• The minimum age from which an officer’s service would be reckoned for pensionable purposes has been changed from age twenty to age seventeen.
• A person serving in the public service in a temporary capacity who had been appointed substantively would have qualified for the grant of a pension, gratuity or other allowance under the Pensions Act is entitled to a pension as the case may be. This proviso, however, is on the condition that the person satisfies all the requirements for the permanent appointment.
• In cases where female officers are eligible for a marriage gratuity: (1) a gratuity not exceeding one twelfth (1/12) of a month’s pensionable emoluments  for each completed month of pensionable service under the Government or twelve months pensionable emoluments whichever is less; or (2) a commuted pensionable gratuity , whichever is greater.
• Where an officer is re-employed in the service of Trinidad and Tobago he is entitled to have his previous service taken into account in the final computation of his pension, gratuity or other allowance save that any amount already received by him by way of pension, gratuity or other allowance, shall be deducted from the amount which is required to be paid to the officer on the basis of the final computation.

DOCUMENTS AND INFORMATION REQUIRED TO BE SUBMITTED FOR MONTHLY –PAID PENSION

• Copy of the Public Service Commission’s approval of retirement, (in all cases other than compulsory retirement a Photostat copy of approval is necessary);
• Original option for an un-reduced pension or a gratuity and reduced pension;
• Birth Certificate with supporting affidavit, if necessary;
• Marriage certificate in case of married female officers;
• Death certificate where necessary;
• Detailed statement of indebtedness to Government, if any, by way of Loans, overpayment or salaries etc.;
• Last known address
• Income Tax File Number
• National Insurance Number