Tag: Life Certificate

Life Certificates- Frequently Asked Questions

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A Life Certificate is an official document used by the Accountant General’s Department to verify the living status of a pensioner and tells us that you are eligible for payments from Government of Jamaica.

Here are a few FAQs and Answers regarding the Certificate and the processes associated with it.

Q: How often are certificates due?

A: Pensioners are required to submit a Life Certificate once every quarter. The due dates for the certificate are as follows: January 31, April 30, July 31, and October 31.

Q: Who is able to certify my Life Certificate?

A: The certificate may be stamped and signed by any of the following: Justice of the Peace, Notary Public, Minister of Religion, Medical Practitioner, School Principal, Bank Manager, Parish Councillor, Secretary of KSAC, Town Clerk or a civil servant at the equivalent grade of GMG/SEG1 or higher, stating post and Ministry or Department.

NB: The Life Certificate must not be signed by a family member or anyone residing in the same household as the pensioner.

Q: Am I able to submit a scanned/faxed of my Life Certificate?

A: No. The Life Certificate must be submitted carrying the original signatures of the certifier and pensioner as a hardcopy document. Accepted modes of submission are, post and delivery.

Q: What if I am unable to sign the certificate for medical reasons?

A: If, for a medical reason, you are unable to sign your Life Certificate, the procedure for completion of the certificate is as follows:

  • Have your medical doctor write a letter, addressed to the Accountant General, stating that you are unable to sign as a result of a medical condition.
  • Thereafter, your certificate is to be signed and stamped by the medical doctor, leaving the line for your signature blank.

Q: If I am paid through the Consulate/ High Commission, do I need to submit Life Certificates to the Accountant General’s Department?

A: No. All communication should be had with the Consul General/ High Commissioner in the country/state of residence.

Q: If I alter the date on the Life Certificate, will it be accepted for the date period that I have written on?

A: No. Life Certificates are barcoded with the dates ingrained therein.

Q: What do I do if I don’t receive my Life Certificate in the mail/e-mail?

A: You may contact the Department to request a certificate in any of the following ways:

Live Chat https://www.treasury.gov.jm
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/thetreasuryja
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thetreasuryja
Twitter https://twitter.com/thetreasuryja
Whatsapp (Text only) 1-876-818-6583
E-mail info@treasury.gov.jm

Life Certificate Guidelines

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Life Certificates are essential to the pension payment process. The Life Certificate is an official document used to verify that a pensioner is still alive and; therefore, eligible to receive a pension from the Government of Jamaica.

The Accountant General’s Department sends a Life Certificate to each pensioner at the end of every quarter. Certificates are to be completed by pensioners and submitted to the department by the end of the first month of the following quarter.

For example, the Life Certificate sent to you at the end of June, is due for submission to the Accountant General’s Department on or before July 31.

  • You must sign your Life Certificate and ensure that the person certifying indicates the date of signing. If, at the point of submission, the date on your Life Certificate exceeds three months it will be considered invalid.
  • The person certifying the Certificate must affix their stamp or seal.
  • If a civil servant is certifying the Certificate and they do not have access to a stamp, please ensure that they state the Ministry, Department or Agency to which they are employed as well as their post and rank.
  • The Life Certificates are designed with special security features and are only valid for the quarter for which they are generated. Hence, ensure that the quarter ending date corresponds with the quarter for which you are submitting same.
  • Do not alter the information on the face of the Life Certificate. The barcoded Life Certificate has special features unique to you and the specific quarter.

Any of the below listed officers may certify the Life Certificate:

Justice of the Peace, Notary Public, Minister of Religion, Medical Practitioner, Principal, Civil Servant at the rank of GMG/SEG1 and above, Bank Manager, Parish Council, Secretary of the KSAC and Town Clerk.

Points to note:

  1. The Certificate cannot be certified by a family member.
  2. Civil Servants who have retired from the public service and hold no other office, listed as being eligible to sign, are not able to certify the Certificate.

The completed Life Certificate ought to be submitted to the Accountant General’s Department either by post or hand delivery.

If a pensioner does not submit a life certificate, is late in submitting the certificate, or if the life certificate submitted is invalid, payments may be suspended until a valid life certificate is received.

COVID-19 Public Advisory

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Following the announcement by Prime Minister Andrew Holness at the Press Briefing on March 16, 2020, the Accountant General has made an assessment of all service areas of the Accountant General’s Department (AGD) and has determined that limited service will be provided to customers over the 7 day period, which commences on Wednesday, March 18, 2020.  We request that customers contact us through our digital platforms, as follows:

 

Live Chat https://www.treasury.gov.jm
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/thetreasuryja
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thetreasuryja
Twitter https://twitter.com/thetreasuryja
Whatsapp (Text only) 1-876-818-6583
E-mail info@treasury.gov.jm

 

The following services may be accessed online: requests for Pensioner Life Certificates, P-24 forms and status letters.

 

It is our expectation that Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) will continue to make payments to the AGDs bank accounts, to be followed by appropriate email notification, while ensuring that the precautions, as outlined by the Prime Minister and the Minister of Health and Wellness are observed.

 

Only limited operations will be conducted at our Contact Centre, we may be reached at 876-922-8320-7.

 

Pensioner Life Certificates and general mail may be submitted using the designated drop boxes which have been placed at the main entrance the MOFPS Building, 30 National Heroes Circle, Kingston 4, or through the regular postal service.

 

We do appreciate your understanding at this time and look forward to a continued working relationship with all our customers, as we strive to provide excellent service.

 

With best regards and wishes for continued safety.

 

Anya Jones

Accountant General

Pensioners Get More Time to Complete Life Certificates

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Government of Jamaica pensioners will have more time to complete and hand in their life certificates to the Accountant General’s Department (AGD).

“We are sending out the life certificates one month earlier than before, so that you get two months to return them,” Director of Communication and Customer Relations at the AGD, Tanisha Weir Grant, told JIS News.

She said that the move is in response to complaints from pensioners about the short time frame given for the completion of documents.

“The prime objective is to ensure that the pensioners have ample time to receive the document, have the document certified, and have enough time to return the document to the AGD, as the life certificate is the main driver for processing of payment to commence” she explained.

The new policy measure will be implemented this month, with certificates being dispatched at the end of May 2019, to be returned at the end of July.

Certificates will be dispatched in August to be returned in October; documents will be sent out in November for completion and return in January 2020; and certificates will be sent out in February to be returned in April.

Mrs. Weir Grant is appealing to pensioners to collect the certificates from the post office early, so that the mail is not sent back to the AGD.

Additionally, she said that pensioners should try to complete and return the document as quickly as possible.

For further information, persons may call the AGD at 876-922-8320-7 or email to info@treasury.gov.jm or whatsapp 876-818-6583.

 

Published by: Jamaica Information Service                  Written by: Tomeica Gunn

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