Tag: Life Certificates

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.

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